Sedition Act 1948, an old law with too many flaws

Sedition Act 1948, ISA 1960, OSA 1972 (Act 88)

A Fettered Press, & No Freedom of Speech

The Sedition Act 1948, The Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) and the Official Secrets Act 1972 (Act 88) (OSA) all of which are being used to suppress and oppress, should all be abolished.

The laws listed below, are quite unlike the draconian, intimidating, oppressive, archaic and catch-all Malaysian Sedition Act 1948, which is apparently now being used by the Malaysian Federal [National Front (BN)] coalition (UMNO controlled) government as a political tool, to attempt to stifle legitimate opposition, to silence critics, to intimidate bloggers and to create a general climate of fear, by the abuse of political power.


Here are some odd old British (English) laws, some which still may be legally in force, they are however quite harmless, even amusing.

Strange Old Laws

• Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, any person found guilty of "harbouring a Roman Catholic priest" would be tortured or even hanged. Any priest of the Roman Catholic faith that was caught would be hanged, drawn, and quartered.
• With the exception of carrots, most goods can not be sold on a Sunday.
• All English males over the age 14 are to carry out 2 or so hours of longbow practice a week supervised by the local clergy. [Explanation: This law dates from the middle ages when there was no standing army, so in times of war each gentry was required to produce a quota (depending on its size) of knights, archers, infantry, etc. As the church was the only centralised instrument of bureaucracy (the lords were independent for the most part), they were used for such tasks.]
• London Hackney Carriages (taxis/cabs) must carry a bale of hay and a sack of oats.
  
  • [Explanation: The London Hackney Carriage Laws covers hackneys in other towns too and have remained unaltered for over 100 years. Firms have been known to manufacture very small bales of hay to carry in a taxi during disputes during local councils (who license the hackneys everywhere except London). Also the vehicle has to be tethered at a taxi rank, and the council have to supply a water trough at said ranks (that could be fun on a Saturday night!].
    

• The severest Penalties will be suffered by any commoner who doth permit his animal to have carnal knowledge of a pet of the Royal Household (enacted by King George I).
• It is illegal to be drunk on Licensed Premises (in a pub or bar).
• It is illegal for two adult men to have sex in the same house as a third person.
  
• [Explanation: Introduced to outlaw "molly houses" which began to appear in the big cities of England in the late 16th Century. In these bordellos, homosexuals engaged in sex, sadomasochism, transvestitism etc., and they were perceived as a threat to public morality, and so outlawed.]

• Any person found breaking a boiled egg at the sharp end will be sentenced to 24 hours in the village stocks (enacted by King Edward VI).
• It is illegal to stand within one hundred yards of the reigning monarch when not wearing socks (enacted by King Edward VI).
• Chelsea Pensioners may not be impersonated.
  
• [Explanation: Chelsea Pensioners are entitled to enhanced state benefits and subsidized accommodation, so pretending to be one is simply fraud!]

• A bed may not be hung out of a window.
• It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance.
• Mince pies can not be eaten on Christmas day.
  
• [Explanation: Ingredients of mince pies and plum puddings were pagan in origin, and their consumption part of ancient fertility rituals. The law dates from the Puritan era, the same time that dancing in church, maypoles, and holly and ivy decorations were outlawed. The laws were never officially repealed because upon the restoration of the monarchy, (in the form of King Charles II) all laws formed under the protectorate were ignored as they were deemed invalid.]

• Any boy under the age of 10 may not see a naked mannequin.
• It is illegal for a Member of Parliament to enter the House of Commons wearing a full suit of armour.
• [Explanation: The law dates from the renegotiation of royal/political power on the accession of King Charles II, designed to stop the MPs storming the house if it makes a decision they disapprove of.]
  
• [The Monarch is not allowed to enter the House of Commons (the legislative house) for similar reasons.]

• Destroying or defacing money is illegal.
• If a steam locomotive is driven on roads, a man must walk in front of the vehicle with a red flag during the day and a red lantern at night to warn passers by.
• All steam locomotives are limited to 4mph on roads.
• Committing suicide is classified as a capital crime.
• Interfering with the mail or sleeping with the consort of the Queen is classed as treason, and as such, carries a maximum penalty of death.
• Placing a postage stamp that bears the Queen (or King) upside down is considered treason.
• One may not "blemish the peace".
• A license is required to keep a lunatic.
• Damaging grass is illegal.
• In Chester, you can only shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight.
• You may not shoot a Welsh person on Sunday with a longbow in the Cathedral Close in Hereford.
• In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish store.
• In London, companies may vote in local elections.
• In York, excluding on Sundays, it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow.
  

Lex malla, lex nulla


- A bad law is no law.