10 ridiculous laws that are actually true

American legal TV shows are happy to bask in some of the nonsenses that the law happily throws up. But we Brits reckon we can top that. In celebration of the release of Boston Legal’s fourth season on DVD – and we’ve got a review coming up soon – we’re indebted to the help of Gemma Dunbar who has helped us come up with ten laws that just shouldn’t be true, but are.

We’d do a true or false thing on these, if they didn’t all happen to be true. They’ll certainly give Messrs Shatner and Spader something to muse over…

Law one
It is illegal for a cab in the City of London to carry rabid dogs or corpses

Law two
It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament

Law three
It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside down

Law four
Under the UK’s Tax Avoidance Schemes Regulations 2006, it is illegal not to tell the taxman anything you don’t want him to know, though you don’t have to tell him anything you don’t mind him knowing

Law five
A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet

Law six
All men over the age of 14 must carry out two hours of longbow practice a day

Law seven
Freemen are allowed to take a flock of sheep across London Bridge without being charged a toll; they are also allowed to drive geese down Cheapside

Law eight
It is illegal to flag down a taxi if you have the plague

Law nine
A man who feels compelled to urinate in public can do so only if he aims for his rear wheel and keeps his right hand on his vehicle.

Law ten
London Taxi cabs must carry a bale of hay at all times.

Boston Legal season four is available on DVD now. And after reading that lot, you’re probably safer watching that than being a London taxi driver…