The British legal system is the product of centuries of evolution in law-making. There are laws that remain valid dating back as far as the Magna Carta and UK lawmakers are not always quick to repeal Legislation. This has left us with a ragtag collection of interesting and sometimes unusual laws that remain, at least technically speaking, enforceable.

Take, for example, the Coming Armed to Parliament Act 1313 that decrees it is illegal for you to go to the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour. Under section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872, if you are found to be drunk whilst in charge of a steam engine on the public highway or in any other public place, you could find yourself in prison for up to a month. Perhaps even more surprising, under the same Act you could find yourself in trouble if you are found drunk in a pub – the legislation states: ‘every person found drunk … on any licensed premises shall be liable to a penalty’.

There are some more recent examples of these unusual types of legislation – take the Salmon Act of 1986 that sets down the penalty you might face for ‘handling salmon in suspicious circumstances’, or the 2004 legislation governing the importation of Polish potatoes, which specifies a particular procedure to be followed in order to import them. Perhaps of more relevance to daily life is the requirement that you notify a key holder’s Local Authority before activating your burglar alarm although, thankfully, this only applies under specific circumstances.

In some instances, lawmakers have caught up – take the ancient power of “distress” that allowed landlords to confiscate and sell the goods owned by tenants in debt. This ancient remedy dates back in part to the Magna Carta and the Statute of Marlborough 1267 and was frequently used until powers were substantially curbed by the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, which implemented a more modern system of recovering commercial rent arrears.

Historically, as head of state, the monarch was a key figure in the administration of law, and it remains the case that under UK law, court proceedings cannot be issued against the reigning monarch as a person. However, while the Queen is no longer an active participant in judicial proceedings, she remains the figure in whose name law is prosecuted.

For more information, advice and support, contact the George Ide team on 01243 796668 or email us at [email protected].

Danii Jhurry-Wright. Partner, Commercial property department.

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