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SILLY LAWS AND LAWSUITS AROUND THE WORLD There are many laws around the world which may easily baffle our common sense as well as provoke blank stares, disgust and - most of all – laughter. Many of these appear to be written as silly jokes, but it seems that most of them made it to actual legal books and even produced serious legal effects. What makes this laws so different from all the others is either their hilarious hypothesis, or the way justice is made in certain situations. Moreover, it is not just under developed countries or different cultural views that caused them to be produced. Many leading nations such as The United Kingdom, or even the American legal system contain less common stipulations. For example: In Alabama, putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death and keeping an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time is a crime. In Arkansas, schoolteachers who bob their hair are not eligible for a raise and it is illegal to buy or sell blue light bulbs. Los Angeles, a man can legally beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can't be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife's consent to beat her with a wider strap. Consent should be given prior to the event, as is carefully stipulated. In Switzerland, it is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 PM. In Thailand, it is illegal to leave your house without wearing underwear. In Salt Lake County, Utah, it’s illegal to walk down the street carrying a violin in a paper bag. In Oklahoma, you can be arrested for making ugly faces at a dog. In California it is illegal to set a mouse trap without a hunting license. In Athens, Greece, a driver’s license can be taken away if the driver is thought to be either “poorly dressed” or “unbathed” . In Massachusetts, it is illegal to go to bed without first having a bath. (However, another law prohibits bathing on Sunday) In England, it is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. It England, it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the Queen upside down. In Miami, Florida, imitating animals is illegal. In Texas, if you are going to commit a crime, you legally have to give 24 hours notice to the police. In France, it's illegal to name a pig Napoleon. 1

Silly Laws Around the World

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Page 1: Silly Laws Around the World

SILLY LAWS AND LAWSUITS AROUND THE WORLD

There are many laws around the world which may easily baffle our common sense as well as provoke blank stares, disgust and - most of all – laughter. Many of these appear to be written as silly jokes, but it seems that most of them made it to actual legal books and even produced serious legal effects.

What makes this laws so different from all the others is either their hilarious hypothesis, or the way justice is made in certain situations. Moreover, it is not just under developed countries or different cultural views that caused them to be produced. Many leading nations such as The United Kingdom, or even the American legal system contain less common stipulations.

For example:

In Alabama, putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death and keeping an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time is a crime.

In Arkansas, schoolteachers who bob their hair are not eligible for a raise and it is illegal to buy or sell blue light bulbs.

Los Angeles, a man can legally beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can't be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife's consent to beat her with a wider strap. Consent should be given prior to the event, as is carefully stipulated.

In Switzerland, it is illegal to flush the toilet after 10 PM.

In Thailand, it is illegal to leave your house without wearing underwear.

In Salt Lake County, Utah, it’s illegal to walk down the street carrying a violin in a paper bag.

In Oklahoma, you can be arrested for making ugly faces at a dog.

In California it is illegal to set a mouse trap without a hunting license.

In Athens, Greece, a driver’s license can be taken away if the driver is thought to be either “poorly dressed” or “unbathed” .

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to go to bed without first having a bath. (However, another law prohibits bathing on Sunday)

In England, it is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

It England, it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the Queen upside down.

In Miami, Florida, imitating animals is illegal.

In Texas, if you are going to commit a crime, you legally have to give 24 hours notice to the police.

In France, it's illegal to name a pig Napoleon.

In Afghanistan the Taliban banned women from wearing white socks, for fear men might find them attractive.

In Bangladesh you face prison time for cheating at school.

In Denmark it is not against the law to escape from prison.

In the days of Sparta, if you were male you legally had to consume 2 pounds of meat a day.

In Michigan, a woman isn’t allowed to cut her hair without her husband’s permission.

By law, if you pass anyone over the age of 70 in the street, you must bow to them and say a prayer to the Gods of the Ancients.(China)

Drivers of power-driven vehicles who stop at pedestrian crossings are liable to a fine of up to five yen. -Article 40 of

the Beijing Traffic Laws.

Imperial law stipulates death by torture to anyone who disclosed the secret of how to make silk. (China)

Rescuing a drowning person is not allowed as it would be interfering with their fate.

If a person finds a lost child they can claim the child as their own is a parent does not turn up within 2 hours.(Denmark)

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From Jeddah to Riyadh there are two highways: one for Muslims, another for “infidels”. If a Muslim is accompanied

by an “infidel”, both are required to use the highway for infidels. (Saudi Arabia)

It is considered an offense if a woman appears in public, unless accompanied by a male relative or guardian.(Saudi

Arabia)

It is illegal to engage in any religious practice other than Islam. It is illegal to import any books featuring Christian

symbols such as a cross.

Woman are not allowed to drive a car.

It is against the law to speak to a donkey in Chinese.(Singapore)

It’s illegal to carry a Bible or to talk to anyone about Jesus Christ.

The sale of bubblegum is prohibited.

If you are convicted of littering three times, you will have to clean the streets on Sundays with a bib on saying,” I am

a litterer.” This will then be broadcasted on the local news.

In Israel, it is illegal for a chicken to lay an egg on a Friday or Saturday.

...and now some really funny lawsuits:

1. An Ontario woman who got drunk at an office party and crashed her car has successfully sued her employer for allowing her to drive -- even though her company offered a cab ride or accommodation if she gave up her keys. Linda Hunt, 52, won more than $300,000 in damages and interest from Sutton Group Realty Ltd., of Barrie, Ont., after arguing her boss should have stopped her from driving home in a snowstorm following a 1994 Christmas party." The judge assessed Hunt's damages from the resulting accident at C$1.2 million, but reduced that by three quarters to reflect her own fault in the matter. He "went on to declare it the duty of employers to monitor the alcohol consumption of employees at company functions. The decision is expected to send a chill through offices across the country"

2. A woman in Israel is suing a TV station and its weatherman for $1,000 after he predicted a sunny day and it rained. The woman claims the forecast caused her to leave home lightly dressed. As a result, she caught the flu, missed 4 days of work, spent $38 on medication and suffered stress.

3. An inmate filed a $5 million lawsuit against himself (he claimed that he violated his own civil rights by getting arrested) -- then asked the state to pay because he has no income in jail. He said, "I want to pay myself $5 million dollars, but ask the state to pay it on my behalf since I can't work and am a ward of the state." The judge was not impressed by his ingenuity, and dismissed the suit as frivolous.

4. A jury awarded $178,000 in damages to a woman who sued her former fiance' for breaking their seven-week engagement. The breakdown: $93,000 for pain & suffering; $60,000 for loss of income from her legal practice, and $25,000 for psychiatric counseling expenses.

5. A woman driving a car collided with a man who was riding a snowmobile. The man died at the scene. Since his snowmobile had suddenly cut in front of her, police said she was free of blame. She sued the man's widow for the grave and crippling psychological injuries she suffered from watching the man die.

6. Stella Liebeck burned herself with coffee purchased at a McDrive and sued McDonalds, the legendary $2.86 million compensation were suggested by Stellas’ lawyer who suggested penalizing the fast-food chain for one or two days' worth of coffee revenues (about $1.35 million per day). The sad thing for McDonalds is that the coffee was really too hot and Stella was right, so the case was settled for $600.000. After that the Stella Award, for the most stupid cases was founded.

7. Another McDonalds related case happened in 1993, when a man sued the corporation for having no “don’t eat and drive” warning. While sitting in a car he placed a milkshake between his legs and leaned over to get food from the

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Page 3: Silly Laws Around the World

bag, during this process he squeezed the hot milkshake out of the cup. He was distracted due to shock and bumped into another car.

Student : Asan Raluca-Simona, Facultatea de Drept „Simion Barnutiu” Sibiu, specializarea drept, anul I

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