'A fascinating list of absurdities ... an extraordinary work ... remarkable and praiseworthy ... an extraordinary achievement.' - Sir Michael Parkinson CBE - Broadcaster, journalist & author

In the UK, we have some bizarre laws that have littered the statute books of our sceptred isle throughout history. Not all of them have been repealed over the centuries. Some of them made perfect sense at the time they were introduced but seen through modern eyes, now appear archaic and draconian. Despite the great efforts of the Law Commission in England and Wales to review and recommend reforms for many of these outdated laws, there are centuries of law that must be painstakingly gone through.

As well as some bizarre laws, the UK also has its fair share of curious customs and time-honoured traditions that have been observed for centuries. On the surface, many appear to be nothing more than theatrical pomp and pageantry. However, they are all born from strong rationale.

The UK parliament seems to have had a particular penchant for passing laws related to fish and animals, indecency and passing sentences with some humiliating public punishments.

This compendium book, a combination of all 3 volumes from this book series, is a highly entertaining read for anyone who enjoys learning about the more bizarre applications of UK law throughout the centuries, along with some rather macabre consequences along the way.

Have you ever heard a bizarre law and thought, that can’t possibly be true? Is it genuine? Was it ever in existence or just an urban myth that became so embellished over time? There are surprisingly, a great many laws still in existence on the statute books today, that would make your jaw drop. Whilst bizarre as these laws may now seem to us, it begs the question, are we in fact, unknowingly breaking these laws on a regular basis?

For example…

It is illegal to own a pet whale but not a tiger

It is illegal to keep a ‘lunatic’ without a licence

Unsurprisingly, it is illegal to cause a nuclear explosion

Magistrates are legally required to bind over every person of good behaviour

It is illegal for any person to be drunk in a pub

Granny farming is illegal during general elections

It is illegal to be found on church grounds, dressed as a giant gerbil whilst digging up the petunias

…all these questions and more will be answered in this latest book by Monty Lord, with a foreword by the former Lord Chancellor, The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC MP.

Reading this book, you may be inclined to laugh heartily, let out a sorrowful cry or recoil in abject horror at some of the more gruesome sentences passed for breaking these weird laws.

With over 440 bizarre but nevertheless true, laws and customs, you can use this book to satisfy your curiosity about what our ancestors had to contend with over the years, or perhaps as a reference guide for trivia quizzes.