BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?

Subject: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Emma B
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 05:17 PM

In the UK The public are being asked to nominate which laws they think the Government should scrap 'in a bid to scale back bureaucracy'

Dozens of suggestions had been made on the site within hours of it going live.
It's reported that 'Decriminalising drugs, scrapping CCTV cameras in city centres and repealing the smoking ban were among the first ideas proposed by members of the public'

Wot no PEL?

More way out suggestions included repealing the Law of Gravity.

Suggestions please......

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Jeri
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 05:29 PM

I like decriminalizing drugs, especially pot. The worst things that happens because of drug use mostly have a lot to do with it being illegal.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 05:37 PM

Until most of our society is capable of assuming responsibility I would not scrap any..... not saying that there aren't some laws which are ludicrous now but I would not think of changing anything until society changes.........

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 05:43 PM

I'm with Jeri. Some of our laws came about only through political pressure, not because of logical need.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 05:43 PM

Not the smoking ban please, only decent piece of legislation from the last 13 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 06:08 PM

Make marijuana legal and treat and tax it like cigarettes; treat it like alcohol for driving impaired, etc. -- and do some honest medical and scientific research into its uses.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: GUEST,Lizzie Cornish
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 06:19 PM

I'd like to see the law that has made it illegal for people to think deeply for the past 15 years removed...

And the law which says we all have to comply

And the law which states that we all have to give our name, address, phone number, passwords, national insurance numbers and bra size to any tom, dick or harry on the other end of the phone, to protect our privacy...???

And the law which states that all TV soaps have to dumb down the population

And the law which made people into human resources

And the law which allows South West Water to charge double for water

And the law which assumes we're now all guilty until proved innocent

And I know these must all BE laws, because surely no population could be so DUMB as to simply allow that all to happen without uttering a word.........

Could they?????

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 06:33 PM

Oh Lizzie, I do hope you are a member of Amnesty?

If not, they seriously NEED people like you (I'm a member) to TAKE ACTION:

Amnesty - Take Action

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 06:39 PM

I've flagged this organisation up before here, but I think they're worth fagging up again:

Liberty - Take Action

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 06:45 PM

Groups like this desperately need practical support from passionate individuals.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mauvepink
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:09 PM

the law that MOST needs scrapping is....

One law for the rich and another law for the poor

mp

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mousethief
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:11 PM

Neither the rich NOR the poor are allowed to sleep in doorways. Perfect equity.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:22 PM

We all need people like LC putting their money where their mouth is, and taking action that makes real change. That means DOING stuff that makes a change.

Many of us are actively involved in making that change. I hope more people like LC are willing to join us in taking real action that makes real change.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mauvepink
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:22 PM

.... and if they did, who do you think would have the better chance of getting off with the charge of vagrancy?

I suspect one of them has a choice not to be there far greater than the other

:-(

mp

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:44 PM

Aye, I've witnessed heartless treatment of some poor awld fellas in my time..

Recently I recall an old chap being aggressively barracked by a young ahem 'officer', the poor confused old boy ended up vomiting on himself before he was forced off the public bench he was occupying.

It makes me cry, because it's nothing unusual or new.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:52 PM

As an aside, I've wondered about the power of a posh accent combined with blatant lying. I'd LOVE to see some undercover OP's from newspapers involving faux posh totty who are in 'awkward' situations blagging their way out of it with nothing more than a public school accent and a few discreet name-drops.
After all, isn't that the way that sort get legitimately hired? ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:53 PM

Any law where there is or or no victims should go... They include some stupid laws about sex and drugs and a host of other victimless crimes... I mean, there are states where if the woman is on top then you are breaking some law??? Give me a break??? How come men have to do all the top-duty??? Ain't nuthin' in either the Bible or the Constitution on this... And what about prostitution??? There's a joke... And a waste of time... I mean, like if a guy asks a woman out and drops two or three hundred on flashy date and ends up gettin' lucky and then never sees the woman again it's okay... But if a guy just drops the two or three hundred without the dinner and show, it's against the law????

There ain't no logic to this thinkin'...

But heck with that stuff... The laws that really hurt US are the laws we don't have or don't enforce... The deal with curruption, corportazation, tax loopholes, regulations on inductry, etc. etc... That's the laws that either need to be rewritten, scrapped and/or enforced.... Or all of the above...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 07:56 PM

I thought that the Law of Gravity had been repealed since Einstein. Only works on a small (cosmic) scale.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mousethief
Date: 01 Jul 10 - 09:07 PM

Einstein didn't break the law of gravity. He only bent it.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 02:43 AM

.... I would not think of changing anything until society changes.........

I would scrap the legal requirement for schools to hold a daily collective act of worship. According to the BBC website, Ofsted has found that just a quarter of secondary schools actually comply. In my opinion, this reflects that society has already changed and the law is an anachronism.

DC

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 03:20 AM

PEL for unamplified music. NB ONLY unamplified. But apply PELs to big screen TVs and juke boxes.

70 limit (probably more broken on any given day than any other law).

Countryside (rights of way) Act and a network of idiocies that undermined the right of way known as the RUPP formally created (recognising rights from time immemorial) in 1949.

Law on registration of commons that de-commoned all commons that were not registered within a limited time.

Network of laws rendering it illegal to stop and camp on minor highways.

Inclosure acts - give us back our public land!

Quite a range of acts empowering petty officials to break into homes.

There is no need for any homosexual acts to be illegal as such.

THe rule in Jaggard & Lasky (basically, people who want to be sexually flogged cannot consent to the crime of ABH or GBH committed against them)

Chancel liability.

Some restrictions on new openings onto highways.

Range of stop and search laws.

Range of immunities for ISPs.

Range of reforms to defamation law.

Parts of copyright, large parts of trade mark law, range of plant variety rights, any patentability for software, genome rights

Continuing tenant liability

Merger of private rights of way

Pretty well any sort of random testing for anything

Parts of Parliamentary privilege

THe UK/US extradition treaty

Large chunks of Data Protection Act (including the safe harbour provisions that allow data to be sent to unsafe jurisdictions like the USA)


Oh well that's wasted 20 minutes I did not have to waste.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 03:37 AM

Whichever law it is that allows property developers to keep on appealing, against local council planning department decisions which go against them, until they get their own way. And that part (of presumably the same law?) which gives communities, blighted by the developers' rapacious greed, no right of appeal.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: John J
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 11:59 AM

PEL

Although a non-smoker, I think a review the no smoking law could be worthwhile - perhaps some flexibility could be introduced. It may help slow the rate at which pubs are closing.

JJ

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 12:22 PM

Affirmative Action

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: GUEST,Lox
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 12:27 PM

I think this 'policy' is little more that a cheap stunt to create the illusion of being involved in government.

How many Laws do people know?

And which 'popular' suggestions will be circulated in the media?

Its like the X factor.

5 or 6 laws will get all the attention right from the start, and will probably all be removed.

None of them will have any real relevance to our lives.

Sorry Clegg, I still won't be voting for you again.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 12:40 PM

First, the anti-hedonist ones - like about sexual positions or partners, recreational drug use (rather than sales), the world needs more FUN.

I just realized I'm breaking the law here in Virginia by teaching my own teenager to drive! Oh, come on, comes to mind.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Emma B
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 01:03 PM

My own fear is that by concentrating solely on the laws that paeople wish to see scrapped, and not the ones the majority wish to see retained, the Tory Government (let's not kid ourselves that the LibDems have any credibility - just jobs for the boys) are setting up a rationale for their promise to restore the barbaric 'sport' of fox hunting

I'm sure that the Coutryside Alliance (who doesn't seem to support any rural problems this country dwelling woman is concerned about) will mobilize its supporters to push for the tories to repeal the hard fought for legislation

David Cameron openly supports hunting and pledged to end the ban on using hounds if elected. He has ridden with the Heythrop, has friends who work for it and its members work as Tory activists to help him in election campaigns.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 01:09 PM

`I've flagged this organisation up before here, but I think they're worth fagging up again:`


I opine that`s a typo.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Ed T
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 01:13 PM

I suspect there are some "nuisance laws" that police use, when they suspect you of doing something else....to stop you or enter your premices.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Joe_F
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 03:03 PM

I believe that this would be a better world -- better entertained, and morally better -- if it could somehow be made extremely difficult to make a living in the arts & entertainment, and flat out impossible to get rich. The abolition of copyright might be a step in that direction.

I would abolish the drug laws, and the licensure of medicine, and the laws providing for the involentary commitment of suicidal persons.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mousethief
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 04:04 PM

I don't think I'd abolish copyright altogether, but I'd severely restrict it, to something more like what we do with drug patents. The idea of "intellectual property" is obscene.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 04:31 PM

I believe that this would be a better world -- better entertained, and morally better -- if it could somehow be made extremely difficult to make a living in the arts & entertainment, and flat out impossible to get rich. The abolition of copyright might be a step in that direction.

Perhaps I'm just blinded by the incredibly vast amount of money I've made over the years as a composer and entertainer, but that has to be one of the most idiotic propositions I've ever read. What do you suggest entertainers do instead to make a living? Mine coal or build ships perhaps?

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 04:44 PM

The laws that allow people to sue each other. It is so f****** stupid these days. If we are not careful, just suing each other will bankrupt all forms of business and bankrupt the country.
Lets get back to common sense.

Another law I would scrap, is the one that say that police and teachers are not allowed to enforce law and order.
Lets get back to treating scumbags as scumbags and treat them accordingly, instead of apologising for their bad behaviour.

Another one would be to ban the drinking of alcohol on the street and lets get rid of the late drinking laws and lets start locking up these drunken bastards that want to fight and vandalise.

Also lets allow all householders that find anybody breaking into their house permission to use anything they like to beat these bastards up without fear of being locked up for taking the law into their own hands.

I am just fed up with our soft soppy do gooder approach to people who have no desire to live within the laws of this land.

End of rant.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 05:03 PM

Oh Mother, I do wish you'd stop reading the Daily Mail :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 05:38 PM

How dare you, I don't read that S*** :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Stower
Date: 02 Jul 10 - 07:40 PM

Does anyone *really* think the government is going to take *any* notice of what we say? This consultation, and the one about spending cuts, are just excuses for them to justify making the changes and cuts they're going to make anyway.

Someone on the site has suggested they scrap the law of gravity. Someone else said scrap the law that makes it illegal for someone to marry a horse.

I like these people. They are treating this 'consultation' with exactly the disregard and contempt it deserves.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Mavis Enderby
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 03:29 AM

Richard Bridge:

Bloody hell - I agree with almost everything on your list!

But especially the Inclosure Acts - what a change that would be...

Pete.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 06:06 AM

I thought that "We are going to have a full Consultation" (And STILL do just what we wanted) was New Labour's big Idea !!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 07:38 AM

Enclosure Acts - surely!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 08:26 AM

Shimrod said -
Whichever law it is that allows property developers to keep on appealing, against local council planning department decisions which go against them, until they get their own way. And that part (of presumably the same law?) which gives communities, blighted by the developers' rapacious greed, no right of appeal.

here in Australia we need those laws repealed too.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Stower
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 09:49 AM

Sandra in Sydney and Shimrod, the day the Tories remove any law which favours their chums in big business is the day the fabric of the universe will be rent in two.

Does anyone really think the Tories will change a law just because people suggest it and just because it does people good or defends those without power? They will simply cherry pick those suggestions which coincide with their already laid plans. It is meaningless.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 10:35 AM

Stower - agreed.

Bonzo, do try to keep up and recognise the situations in which you have no expertise. Oh, sorry, for a moment I forgot, you're a conservative, aren't you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclosure_Acts

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 11:05 AM

"Bonzo, do try to keep up and recognise the situations in which you have no expertise. Oh, sorry, for a moment I forgot, you're a conservative, aren't you."

Well thank you kindly, I never knew that spelling - but then I've never needed to. I shall be all the better for knowing that during lunch at Henley tomorrow, with a great many other Conservatives!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 12:34 PM

The laws that allow people to sue each other. It is so f****** stupid these days. If we are not careful, just suing each other will bankrupt all forms of business and bankrupt the country.
Lets get back to common sense.

Yes, because common sense makes huge megacorporations play fair and not try to screw over people whose only recourse is lawsuit.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 01:31 PM

I would relax the (UK) smoking laws to having a licencing system similar to that of alcohol. It would raise a bit of revenue, maybe rescue a few doomed pubs, and give both smokers and non-smokers a greater element of choice.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 02:00 PM

Well with any luck some will overindulge in pimms or strawberry vodka, fall in and drown.

Conservatives screw the workers, cause 1.2 million joblosses, and go to Henley to celebrate.

Aux barricades!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 05:48 PM

It's a hard life!!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Joe_F
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 09:23 PM

"What do you suggest entertainers do instead to make a living? Mine coal or build ships perhaps?"

Or drive busses or patrol the streets, or whatever -- and entertain themselves & each other in their spare time, of which, if we refrained from wasteful occupations, they would have plenty.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 09:59 PM

I don't agree that entertainers should have to take day jobs. Why, entertainers can make hundreds of dollars.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 11:15 PM

Back on my planet, very few entertainers get to be rich, most professionals struggle to make a living and many talented hopefuls just do it for love and actually lose money by it most of the time.

Presumably Beethoven was wasting his time and missed his vocation as a bus driver.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 01:56 AM

Some might like to be accountants or similar professional occupations - the great Dave Whetstone was also an accountant. Why is it always an assumption that an alternative job will be that of a manual worker - nonsense!!

Steve Knightly was a teacher - hardly a manual worker these days!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 03:41 AM

With unemployment standing as it is, why should musicians take jobs from real people when they can just make money on their music instead of working? Making them take day jobs is bad for the economy.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 03:46 AM

The same could be said for women!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: GUEST,Riginslinger
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 08:03 AM

Minority set-aside contracts!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bloke from Poole
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 12:28 PM

Make all laws have a sunset clause - say one and five years - so they have to be renewed (simple Yes/No vote) or they just die.

If they can't be shown to have provided the claimed benefits, they fall by the wayside.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 04:59 PM

The inherent problem with most laws is that there aint no sanity clause.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: GUEST,Steamin' Willie
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 01:33 PM

I remember somebody in a pub once, rattling on about something he didn't like and what was the government going to do about it etc etc.

I pointed out that it (whatever it was, can't recall now) was not the problem his newspaper of choice reckoned it was, and in any case, there are no laws dealing with it.

And he said...

I loved this....

Laughed my head off, conceded the discussion and bought him a drink....

His words were;

If there WAS a law, it would be against it.

Now, there spoke a would be politician who missed his vocation. The coalition government want to repeal a few laws. Sorry but seems a publicity stunt to me.

Yes, the last lot used new laws to make it look as if they were doing something. Cheaper than funding existing adequate laws and more good press for doing so.

if they were serious about repealing laws, the last thing want is setting hares running with the public. Leads to expectation, and that leads to being unpopular (again.)

Ok though, if they ARE serious then let's see...

I was once told there is still a law that taxis have to carry a bale of hay in the back for the horse. If they haven't got around to getting rid of that yet, then don't hold your breath concerning some of the NuLabour idiotic laws. Harriet Harperson's Equality bill was the worst example of superfluous waffle, but I don't know if that got Royal assent before the election?

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 05:00 PM

"With unemployment standing as it is, why should musicians take jobs from real people when they can just make money on their music instead of working?"

"The same could be said for women!" Bonzo, the Lame

What? Whatever makes you assume that a musician is male?

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 05:33 PM

What I want to know is why musicians can't be classified as 'real people'. I'm no more imaginary than anyone else.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 07:28 PM

I'm the Urban Spaceman

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 08:34 PM

I once played his hosepipe.

(that should confuse a few young 'uns..)

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Deda
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 11:39 PM

Here in the USA, I'd scrap the 2nd amendment to the constitution (the one that is very badly written and is used to enshrine and protect gun ownership). If we have to have any similar amendment, it should at least be written in a way that makes its intent clear.
Deda

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 05:05 AM

"The same could be said for women!" Bonzo, the Lame

What? Whatever makes you assume that a musician is male?"


I was referring to ladies taking jobs from men - little wonder there's so much unemployment.

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 06:03 AM

"I was referring to ladies taking jobs from men - little wonder there's so much unemployment."

yeah........right

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 06:15 AM

I don't propose to enter into a battle of wits with an unarmed lady!

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Emma B
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 06:25 AM

WOW! compared to the Venus de Milo at last!- big thank you sweetikins kiss kiss

Subject: RE: BS: Which Laws would YOU scrap?
From: Smokey.
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 02:21 PM

"little wonder there's so much unemployment"

It's not the unemployment that's the problem, it's the disproportionate amount of non-productive employment.