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Have You Committed Treason -

(20 Posts)
HollyDaze Sat 28-Jun-14 08:46:33

varian - that did make me think so I had a quick google and couldn't find anything; I did find something else to ponder though - another thread on the way!

rosesarered - I was always told it a sign of disrespect as well to place the stamp upside down but, as a child, I couldn't understand why franking the stamp (writing all over the Queen's face) wasn't confused these adults and their double standards wink

rosesarered Fri 27-Jun-14 14:15:41

We were always told to stick the stamp on correctly [by parents] and I think I usually do it's so deep rooted! We thought the Post Office may not accept a badly stuck on stamp [more than offending the Queen.]

varian Fri 27-Jun-14 14:04:02

Is it treason to conspire to destroy the UK? If so maybe Alex Salmond should be sent to the Tower.

durhamjen Fri 27-Jun-14 01:18:53

I expect a knock on the door daily. It just shows their surveillance does not work.

durhamjen Fri 27-Jun-14 01:17:40

Don't think the queen can hang people any more, and all the prisons are far too full for her to incarcerate everyone who says he/she wants rid of her.

FlicketyB Thu 26-Jun-14 17:13:01

Isn't in Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore that one character has to commit at least one crime a day or he will die?

I believe the solution was to plan to commit suicide each day, which was then a crime, and thus he rescued himself.

Just going out, I must remember to drive at 31 miles an hour in a 30 mile speed limit area.

Soutra Thu 26-Jun-14 14:30:57

And the one about urinating on the nearside offside rear wheel of hackney carriages?

Eloethan Thu 26-Jun-14 13:49:01

Perhaps you're right Holly.

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 13:42:49

Hmmm, should read 'odds & s*ds' drawer

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 13:42:13

The trouble is Eloethan - the day may come when they want to enforce that law; a bit like the 'odds * s*ds' drawer - you're pretty sure you won't need all those odds and ends but keep them just in case ...

Elegran Thu 26-Jun-14 13:12:32

If it could be realistically assumed that the firearm was genuine, then the firer should be treated as though it was real.

Eloethan Thu 26-Jun-14 13:02:22

Why a special provision for the Queen re blank rounds? Surely it is illegal for anyone to be threatened with a gun containing blank rounds?

As for it being an offence to advocate for the abolition of the monarchy, that theoretically leaves all members of Republic (of which I am one) open to prosecution.

I don't know why they don't get rid of these outdated laws. I'm sure there are quite enough modern ones that have to be ploughed through, without cluttering up the legal system with stuff that is unnecessary.

Elegran Thu 26-Jun-14 10:36:08

I am with them on the prosecution of Marcus Sarjeant in 1981 for firing blank rounds at the Queen. It was no excuse to say "They were just blanks, I was only pretending to assassinate her" It was realistic enough to have fooled security men and could have got him shot by them in defence of the Queen, so it was realistic enough for him to take the consequences.

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 10:28:20

On a good note - if you do get arrested, they don't hang, draw and quarter any more, just the hanging bit ....

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 10:27:32

I have to admit Ana - that's the one that jumped out at me; I've been on a lot of forums where that subject is usually one of the longest running threads on all of them! I'll bet none of them knew they were actually committing treason shock

Ana Thu 26-Jun-14 10:21:56

There are certainly some Gransnetters who have advocated the abolition of the monarch - we've had threads about it! To the Tower with them all...

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 09:40:52

I have also inadvertently put a stamp on upside down and by the time I realised, and tried to peel it off, the glue had already stuck it down! Thank goodness they don't act on it - I wouldn't really want a longer neck!

glammanana Thu 26-Jun-14 09:39:11

Me too merlot I must have over the years been guilty of the offence,wondering if I shall be dragged off to the Tower to serve my penance.hmm.As a child I always remember my mum making sure stamps where placed correctly on envelopes and telling us it was a mark of disrespect to have HMs head up side down.

merlotgran Thu 26-Jun-14 09:13:21

I'm sure I must have stuck a stamp on upside down at some point in my lifetime and I'm still here....Nothing's happened so no gulping necessary.

HollyDaze Thu 26-Jun-14 09:06:27

- unwittingly?

“It Is Illegal To Place A Postage Stamp Bearing Her Majesty’s Head Upside Down”

This interpretation is a bit of a play on the actual law which states defaming, defacing or mocking the Monarch’s portrait (also known as Lese-majesty for those wanting the technical/legal term) is treasonous and therefore punishable under law. Placing a postage stamp which bears Her Majesty’s portrait upside-down is, therefore regarded as treason.

This law is still in force.

“It’s An Offence To ‘Imagine’ The Death Of Our Sovereign”

This ancient law, which originally states, ‘compassing the death of the sovereign, or of the sovereign’s wife or eldest son and heir’ is a criminal offence. This comes from the Treason Act 1351 and is, yet again, technically still in force today. This means that if one were to now imagine the death of The Queen or Prince Philip and you were a British Citizen, you’d be technically breaking the law

This law is still in force.

“Attempting To Hinder The Line Of Succession”

This also comes under ‘high treason’. Anyone who tries to hinder the line of succession, that is attempts to impede the rightful heir from becoming King or Queen is guilty of this offence, which again is still on the statute books. Hindering the line of succession could be anything from actually killing the heir to attempting to declare them illegitimate.

This law is still in force.

“It is an offence to publish any writing or printing advocating abolition of the Monarchy”

This law states that legally, it’s an offence to attempt to remove the Sovereign from the throne or even to advocate doing this. The full text being, “it is an offence to deprive or depose the Queen from her established constitutional position – and to publish any writing or printing advocating such change”. This law was introduced in 1848 at the height of rebellion from the Chartists and Irish radicals. The offence is punishable by up to life imprisonment.

This law is still in force.

“It is an offence to ‘alarm’ the Sovereign”

This other piece of Victorian legislation, introduced in 1842, makes it an offence to ‘alarm’ the Monarch, with any means. In specific, it made it an offence to alarm the Monarch with a firearm after the then recent attempt on Queen Victoria’s life with a firearm. This piece of legislation was used not too long ago to prosecute Marcus Sarjeant in 1981 for firing blank rounds at the Queen during the annual Trooping The Colour. He was jailed for 5 years.

This law is still in force.

Anyone 'gulped' yet wink