There's no single "funniest" law, but some top contenders include Milan's requirement to smile (unless at a funeral or hospital), the UK's Salmon Act making it illegal to handle salmon suspiciously, and Switzerland's rules against flushing toilets or slamming car doors after 10 PM to avoid disturbing neighbors. Other bizarre laws involve bans on chewing gum in Singapore, feeding pigeons in Venice, or even owning a rake in Acworth, Georgia.
Strange Laws Around the World
In Singapore, it's illegal to walk around naked if you are visible to the public — even in the privacy of your own home! In alignment with the country's broader efforts to maintain moral standards, a glimpse of nudity through your window can lead to a fine of S$2,000.
The 7 Most Famous Laws in the World:
It's an offence to beat or shake your carpet or rug in the street in London. The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 strikes again! You can shake your doormat out, but only before 8 am. It's actually illegal to be found drunk in the pub.
The prankster can face charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace. In England and Wales, trespassing is a civil matter rather than a criminal one, and the police will not compile a case for a victim.
If you find yourself on a country road, stuck behind a herd of cows being transferred from one field to another, over the highway, you may want to point out to the farmer that under the The Metropolitan Streets Act 1867 it is illegal to drive cattle through the streets between 10am and 7pm, except with the permission ...
The 5 Most Frequently Broken Laws
The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known surviving law code. It is from Mesopotamia and is written on tablets, in the Sumerian language.
Here is a list of the top 10 Law schools worldwide, according to our Meta Rankings:
In Milan, the law compels you to smile. It is prescribed by a city regulation from Austro-Hungarian times that was never repealed. Exemptions included funeral goers, hospital workers or those at the bedside of an ill family member.
Cars are not allowed to stop at crosswalks
Cars are not allowed to stop at a pedestrian crossing. This law is strange since it is usually known that cars need to stop at crosswalks so that pedestrians can cross the road. But this is not the case in China where cars are not allowed to stop and let the pedestrians pass.
Ranging from the sensible, to the mildly inconvenient, to the damn right insane depending on which country you're visiting!
Not all stories of strange laws in Virginia are true. Some websites claim it is against the law to tickle women in Virginia but not men. However, these websites fail to offer citations to back up this claim. Searching the Code of Virginia for the word "tickle" does not bring up any results suggesting this law exists.
It is illegal to play 'Knock Knock Ginger'
This kids' game might seem like a harmless prank, but playing it is breaking the law. A law from 1839 makes it illegal to “willfully and wantonly disturb any inhabitant by pulling or ringing any doorbell or knocking at any door without lawful excuse”.
In Milan, Italy, the law requires an individual to always smile in public places unless one is at a funeral or hospital. This law can be traced back to the 19th century.
What Is the Oldest Law in the World? The oldest written law was traced back to the Code of Ur-Nammu, written on clay tablets around 2100 BCE for the Sumerian city of Ur. This code, and the later revised Code of Lipit-Ishtar, established a pattern for Mesopotamian governance.
42. If any one take over a field to till it, and obtain no harvest therefrom, it must be proved that he did no work on the field, and he must deliver grain, just as his neighbor raised, to the owner of the field.
Ancient Greek laws consist of the laws and legal institutions of ancient Greece. The existence of certain general principles of law in ancient Greece is implied by the custom of settling a difference between two Greek states, or between members of a single state, by resorting to external arbitration.
The 25 Weirdest Laws in the World
The easiest law to practice is often considered to be estate planning. This involves helping clients prepare for the distribution of their assets upon death or incapacitation, making it relatively straightforward compared to other legal fields.
Remedial Law is often cited as the most complex subject in the entire law curriculum. It focuses on the rules of procedure—how cases move through the courts. The subject requires a deep understanding of jurisdiction, motions, evidence, and timelines.
The 13 Most Commonly Broken Laws
An ancient and very specific law allows someone in York to shoot a Scotsman with a crossbow, as long as it's not a Sunday. Remarkably, this law, dating back to historic conflicts, still technically applies within the city walls. Although it's clearly incompatible with modern law, it has never been officially repealed.
You can't fly a kite in public
According to the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it is illegal to fly a kite on public thoroughfares. But don't worry if you've already broken this one—many children are still doing so today. There's also a law banning sledging.