Any whale washed up on the shore is the property of the Queen, so she can use its bones for her corset.
The head of said whale, however, belongs to the King. This law dates back to 1307. The original law read something along the lines of “The King shall have throughout the realm, whales and great sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm, except in certain places privileged by the King.”
It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
Anyone who dies in Parliament is entitled to a state funeral. Rumor has it that if you appear sick, they escort you out quickly! Yet another law that was still on the books until a massive “cleanup” of archaic laws was performed in 2012.
Anyone entering the Houses of Parliament while wearing a suit of armor is liable to be arrested.
This law was passed in 1279, as the Houses of Parliament were meant to be a civilized, non-violent place.
A taxi driver must ask passengers if they are suffering from plague or smallpox.
This is part of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, sections 33 and 34: Public Conveyances. The taxi driver has a right to refuse anyone who may have a notifiable disease, or they may elect to transport you and then immediately disinfect their vehicle (unlike a bus driver, who must refuse you altogether)….
It is illegal for taxi drivers to carry rabid dogs or corpses.
This is part of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, sections 33 and 34: Public Conveyances. An interesting discussion regarding this law (and a few others) can be found here.
Except on Sundays, it is lawful to kill a Scotsman in York if he is carrying a bow and arrow.
However, any Scotsman caught drunk or with a weapon can still be shot on a Sunday, except with a bow and arrow. Similarly, in Chester, it is legal to shoot a Welsh person with a crossbow, as long as it is within the city walls and is done after midnight. This was actually on the…