Don’t Be Annoying – You’ll End Up in Jail.

Ranking the World’s Strangest Laws

By Eari Nakano 

As a pre-law student, everyone seems to expect a concrete reason as to why I want to pursue this path and why I like the law. Now, I’m sure that the cliche yet righteous answer of upholding social justice and whatnot has been said before. While I believe all of that – and truly, I do –I believe that there are other elements of the law that appeal to my innate nature of judging things. 

I guess I like the law because it is slightly comical in the sense that it is a nonconsensual contract between the people and their governing bodies. I say “nonconsensual” because no one is born and immediately signs a document agreeing to never run around a mall naked without dire consequences. The law becomes instilled in us like values - not necessarily because we agree with each of them, but because it is “the right thing to do.” In short, the law is vital to a well-functioning society.

Consequently, I don’t like the law because quite frankly, some of them are rather stupid. 

This is why I would like to list some of the world's strangest laws… some more unbelievable than others. Most of which I (personally) do not believe contributes to any faucet of societal well-being.

Netherlands

Picture this: you wake up in the middle of the night (in the Netherlands) - the sound of a stranger bustling into your living room. It’s a burglar. Trembling, you crack open your bedroom door and see the robber attempting to steal your beloved wiener dog.

You are panicking, your mind is going blank - but one thing is crystal clear: no one touches your wiener dog. You fiercely burst into the living room, grab the robber's collars, and shove him into your living room bathroom while you call for help. 

Congratulations, you are now a criminal. Locking a burglar in your living room bathroom actually deprives them of the right to liberty. That is, the liberty to steal from you. How dare you.

To take this step lawfully without infringing on the burglar’s rights, one must warn the burglar before locking them up - with their consent, you are able to lock them up and call for help. Let's take this scenario a little further and say you have a baseball bat with you to hit the burglar with. Unless they hit you first with the baseball bat, this act would be considered “premeditated assault” (Expatica Netherlands). Since you are only allowed to use the same force that is used against you – feel free to steal the burglar’s dog next time.

Argentina

In the city of Rosario in Argentina, if you are lucky enough to share a hometown with the legendary soccer player Lionel Messi, you are simply lucky enough.

No kid will ever have the pleasure of having their first name being “Messi” in this city to avoid “mass confusion.” In 2014 the local authorities decided that it is for the best that there aren’t hundreds of Messi’s running around the city of Rosario.

Personally, I am grateful for this law because if I met a toddler from Rosario named “Messi” I would most definitely mistake him for a 36-year-old soccer player and ask for an autograph.

This law came about when a family decided that they wanted to name their son “Messi,” and the director of the Civil Registry in Santa Fe province said; absolutely not. The reason behind this decision - allegedly- is because “Messi'' is supposed to be a surname and should remain that way (Elite Daily). However, my skeptical pre-law senses tell me that this is not the whole truth: I think Messi just wants to gatekeep his gold-plated name.

It is important to note that “Lionel” is still a perfectly acceptable name in Rosario, so I’m not quite sure what issue this law was trying to address, to be honest.

Switzerland

The term “naturism” refers to the lifestyle of practicing (non-sexual) nudity in the private and public sphere. Also known as the “free body culture,” these individuals believe that the only way to truly connect with nature is to be naked.

In Switzerland, hiking the Appenzell Innerrhoden in the nude is banned, punishable by a fine. While nudity in general is accepted in the country, hiking in the nude “is not very well-perceived” according to the secretary of the Swiss Naturalist Society (The Swiss Times). As much as I can respect the values of these naturists, I have to say that I am not thrilled by the idea of a nude hiking trail.

This law came about when a “naturist” was hiking in the nude and walked by a family with young children as they were picnicking and a Christian elderly group going about their day. Yikes. Needless to say, complaints were made. Fines were paid.

Ironically, this law actually backfired and “raised Appenzell’s international profile as a haven for naked hikers (Reuters).”

Thank you so much for this law Switzerland; moving on.

Philippines

Last but definitely not least, in the Philippines, if someone is annoying you, you can file a criminal case of “unjust vexation.” In other words, if you annoy someone (unjustly), you can see yourself in jail for 1 to 30 days or pay a few hundred dollars in fines.

While in the US, there are federal laws banning harassment, the Philippines take it a step further. Under Article 287 of their Revised Penal Code, the elements of "unjust vexation" include "human conduct that unjustly annoys or irritates another person (Leading Lawyers)."

This definition can include that one annoying neighbor who screams at you to separate your trash and recycling. It can include that irritating couple who won’t stop making out and embracing each other in front of you. It can honestly be that one guy who won’t stop showing up at your doorstep to give him “one more chance.”

Quite frankly this is the one law I will say I would love to see adopted in other nations.

The moral of the story - don’t be annoying, it's the law.

References

Abbetecola, Tasia. “One with Nature: Swiss Naked Hiking.” The Swiss Times, 21 Feb. 2023, https://theswisstimes.ch/one-with-nature-swiss-naked-hiking/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024. 

Cox, Josie. “Swiss Canton Bans Nude Hiking.” Reuters, Reuters, 27 Apr. 2009, www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE53Q4VY/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024. 

Milord, Joseph. “Seriously? Parents in Argentina Are Prohibited from Naming Babies after Lionel Messi.”

Elite Daily: Sports, Elite Daily , 10 Sept. 2014, www.elitedaily.com/sports/lionel-messi-name-banned-in-argentina/750651. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024.

Most, Laura Van Der. “14 Weird Dutch Laws That Exist Today.” Expatica Netherlands, Expatica , 9 Jan. 2024, www.expatica.com/nl/living/gov-law-admin/unbelievable-dutch-laws-1110960/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024. 

“Unjust Vexation as a Criminal Offense in the Philippines.” Leading Lawyers, HG.org, www.hg.org/legal-articles/unjust-vexation-as-a-criminal-offense-in-the-philippines-57288. Accessed 7 Feb. 2024.