It's The Law Trivia Quiz

Answer: Singapore

The ban was at the instigation of the then Minister for National Development trying to deal with the costs associated with spent gum deposited in public areas, in particular on public transport. For example, gum placed on door sensors was causing doors to fail to operate on the Mass Rapid Transport trains.

It was not made illegal to chew gum; however, tourists bringing in their own supply could be fined for inappropriate disposal. Since 2004, an exception was made for gum used for therapeutic purposes. Such gum could be bought from certain doctors and pharmacists.

Answer: Australia

An exception was where the potato 'rustler' happened to be a member of the Potato Corporation or an authorised agent. Western Australia was the last Australian State to repeal the 1946 Act through the Marketing of Potatoes Amendment and Repeal Act 2016 with its five-year transition period.

Answer: Animal welfare reasons

The Italian city of Monza banned the round fish bowl in 2004. Rome followed with a ban in 2005 as well as banning the giving-away of goldfish (and other animals) as carnival prizes. It was also a legal requirement in Rome to walk dogs daily. These were all for animal welfare reasons. Back to goldfish, such bowls generally lack filtration systems and proper oxidation.

The goldfish's three-second memory is a myth and fish bowls fail to provide a stimulating environment for such social animals.

Answer: High-heeled shoes

This regulation was in place in 2009 to protect ancient Greek monuments from damage. High-heeled shoes typically have small areas of contact with the ground resulting in high localised forces. Such concentrated forces can cause damage leading to increased erosion or cracking of millennia-old surfaces. Picking out the wrong fashion item for your visit could attract a fine running to hundreds of Euros.

Other things prohibited from such sites include food and drink, removing stones, intoxication and disruptive behaviour (such as flash dancing).

Answer: Lack of cemetery space

Cemeteries fill up and strict French laws about land use can lead to problems having new land approved for cemeteries. Several communities took the unusual action of banning residents from dying unless they already had a burial space allocated. The village of Cugnaux in France was one such place.

The 2007 mayoral decree was soon declared illegal; however, Cugnaux got their new cemetery approved.

Answer: France

Completed in 1954, the Malpasset Dam was built on the Reyran River in the French Riviera. It collapsed in 1959 killing 423 people. A posthumous marriage was first done to permit a pregnant fiancé to marry her partner who died in the disaster.

A French posthumous marriage did not create matrimonial property nor did it give the surviving spouse any inheritance rights to the deceased's estate. As many as 50 applications might be made per year with perhaps half being permitted. Prior to the disaster, the occasional marriage by use of proxy was permitted where a soldier had died.

Answer: United Kingdom

The act in question was the 1986 Salmon Act and these particular provisions were aimed at poachers and those in the black-market salmon trade. The fish species covered were extended in 2009 to take in trout, eels, lampreys and smelt amongst others, and the provision title changed to 'handling fish in suspicious circumstances'. So make sure that you get the necessary permit if you plan on doing some freshwater fishing in the UK.

Answer: Canada

This was probably more about avoiding people making a statement by paying fines in small change. Section 8(2) of the Currency Act of 1985 set limits on maximum number of certain coins that could be used per transaction, failing which the offered money could be refused.

For example, a maximum of $25 was allowed if paying in $1 coins (or loonies). So if you have accumulated a heap of coins during a visit, you may need to find a charity box.

Answer: Germany

One of the unusual things about German autobahns (or motorways) was that there were sections with no speed limit. Vehicles often exceeded 200 km/h (125 mph) and so avoiding traffic congestion on these roads became a priority. Unnecessary halts were forbidden by the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO), the German Road Traffic Regulations. Running out of fuel on an autobahn was considered preventable and therefore negligent if it arose, with fines payable under Section 23 of the StVO.

In serious cases, it could be regarded as gross negligence, leading to criminal charges.

Answer: Japan

Concerned with the increasing health costs, Japan introduced the Metabolic Syndrome Countermeasures Promotion Law in 2008 to encourage Japanese organisations to support the health of employees. This included a yearly waistline measurement between the ages of 40 and 74.

It did not make obesity illegal but did treat it as a health condition. As such it required certain organisations to provide their employees with the resources to help them reduce their weight. The employee faced no tax or fine, however the organisation could be fined for failing to provide adequate resources.