One of the man’s greatest achievements was the rule of law. A list of codes for what is “right” and “wrong” with the threat of punishment if the person’s actions fall into the “wrong” category.
Some of the laws, however, are so strange that it’s difficult to understand how they made their way into the books. One of the explanations is that they were made hundreds of years ago, but somehow never got changed or eliminated.
Below is the world’s craziest laws, among which some seem obsolete, others unnecessary and weird.
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10. Traffic Fines in Finland Have No Limit
Fins calculate traffic fines as a percentage of the offender’s income. So the more you earn, the more you pay.
There’s no maximum limit to the fine and it can go over even $100,000.
9. Check Your Watch When You Flush the Toilet in Switzerland
In Switzerland after 10 pm it’s illegal to flush the toilet in an apartment building. They seem to be more worried about noise pollution than olfactory pollution.
8. British House of Parliament Will Kick You Out Before You Die
It’s illegal to die in the House of Parliament in England. If anyone dies there, he is entitled to a state funeral.
So if they notice that a person is looking the slightest bit sick, he will be carried out immediately.
It would seem that if anyone did die there, they wouldn’t be so worried about the repercussions.
7. Don’t Chew in Singapore
In Singapore it’s illegal to chew or sell non-medical gum. The gum got prohibited after authorities noticed that a big amount of gum was being stuck in subway stations and on cars.
6. Hong Kong Wives Can Kill You
Hong Kong has a law that allows the wife to kill her cheating husband.
There’s just one drawback, she can only do it with her bare hands. That seems pretty tough to accomplish.
5. Respect the King in Thailand
Thailand may be tolerable to different exotic shenanigans, but there’s still a law that prohibits leaving the house without your underwear on.
Thailand has several other crazy laws that can get you in jail, such as driving without a shirt, stepping on the nation’s currency and any negative statement about the king can get you behind bars for 15 years.
4. Putin Doesn’t Approve Gays
In Russia, it recently became illegal to tell your kids that gay people exist. The Russian president is promoting a lot of intolerance to gay people.
3. Stay Fit or Become a Sumo Wrestler
By Japanese laws it’s forbidden to be fat. Japan is already the slimmest nation and has the lowest obesity rates.
However, this didn’t stop the Japanese lawmakers from setting a maximum waistline standard because of their concern of the rising rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
So every man over 40 years old must have a waist of maximum 80 and for women the maximum is 90 cm.
So what about those sumo wrestlers?
2. Animal Rights in Iran
A really old law in Iran that somehow saved its spot on the statute books states that men are permitted to have sex with certain types of domesticated animals.
However, the sexual contact with wild animals is forbidden, especially with lionesses.
1. Christmas Without Pie?
By a very old law in England it’s illegal to consume mince pie on Christmas Day.
They were banned in the 17th century as an effort to tackle the gluttony. It has never been rescinded, so it is still illegal.
