Out with the Old… the Really Old

In the UK, two sections of the Statute of Marlborough are facing repeal after being in force for 747 years.  That’s right: the Statute was passed in 1267 and is thus older than the Magna Carta, which – although having been drafted in 1215 – was not copied into the statute rolls to officially become law until 1297.  Two sections, however, still remain good law.

Why the suggested repeal?  The two potentially obsolete sections address the ancient British power of “distress,” which allowed landlords to enter a debtor’s property and seize his/her goods.  However, distress was abolished by new legislation this past March.

But don’t worry, our British colleagues are not about to do anything rash or unpopular.  Although the Law Commission has proposed the repeal, a public consultation has been initiated to make sure that no one actually uses the two sections anymore.

Other newer, but nonetheless obsolete, laws are also being earmarked for removal.  One is from the 1990s and was drafted to regulate the “increasing popularity of acid house parties.”   Apparently, acid house parties are not in anymore and thus, the law is no longer needed.

In spite of the above, two sections of the Statute of Marlborough still remain in effect.  One forbids individuals from seeking revenge for debt non-payment without being sanctioned to do so by the court (you gotta love the fact that in the UK, one can apparently get courts to approve one seeking revenge against one’s debtors).  Another prevents tenants from ruining or selling off the landlord’s land.  Fair enough…