“ignorance of the law is no defence”

[Riviera]

Perhaps that's fair if you're a barrister ............. how is the average man in the street supposed to know every law

[mikem]

Originally Posted by Riviera

Perhaps that's fair if you're a barrister ............. how is the normal man in the street supposed to know every law

Turn the logic around - imagine trying to apply a system whereby you can simply plead ignorance as a defence...

[Riviera]

Originally Posted by mikem

Turn the logic around - imagine trying to apply a system whereby you can simply plead ignorance as a defence...

But why not ........... there are laws, still on the books, that prohibit you from grazing your horse on St Brian's day if it falls in a leap year. How could you know that?

[The Voice Of Reason]

Potato

[mikem]

Originally Posted by Riviera

But why not ........... there are laws, still on the books, that prohibit you from grazing your horse on St Brian's day if it falls in a leap year. How could you know that?

Daily Mail headline when an asylum seeker breaks some law and announces he didn't realise he couldn't do whatever it was...

[Krasnoyarsk kid]

Originally Posted by Riviera

Perhaps that's fair if you're a barrister ............. how is the average man in the street supposed to know every law

Your not. Only the one you'r accused of breaking.

[Stadium of Fright]

Originally Posted by Riviera

But why not ........... there are laws, still on the books, that prohibit you from grazing your horse on St Brian's day if it falls in a leap year. How could you know that?

Yeah but they're so out-dated they are considered void. They just haven't been rid of yet.

Apparently a young boy is still supposed to have 2 hours of longbow practice per day

[Riviera]

Originally Posted by Stadium of Fright

Yeah but they're so out-dated they are considered void. They just haven't been rid of yet.

Apparently a young boy is still supposed to have 2 hours of longbow practice per day

I picked that as a daft example ........ but there are obscure laws that are still applied.

[SuperKev]

I'm surprised this hasn't already cropped up but.....

what have you done now?

[Mercia Blackcat]

While it couldn't be used as a defence but when it came to sentencing it could be mitigating not to know the law....depending on how serious the crime.