Anyone planning to bump off a Scotsman in York is running out of time â more than 800 laws, some of them dating back to the 14th century, are destined for the scrapheap.

It is still technically legal to kill Scots in York, as long as they are carrying a bow and arrow, but a new report says it’s time to bury the legislation and clean up the statute book.

It will soon no longer be legal to kill a Scottish person carrying a bow and arrow in York

Other acts senior lawyers want swept away include the offence of dying in parliament, as well as powers that could force pet owners to impound their animals to help pay the king’s debts.



The clean sweep by the Law Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission is thought to be the largest repeals bill ever, with 817 acts and 50 partial acts set to be consigned to history.


‘Getting rid of statutory dead wood helps to simplify and modernise our law, making it more intelligible,’ said Sir James Munby, chairman of the Law Commission for England and Wales.

‘We are committed to ridding the statute book of meaningless provisions from days gone by and making sure our laws are relevant to the modern world.’