Evidence, or simply reposted PR
This was simply a survey by UKTV Gold with prefilled in choices, presumably to get journalists to advertise them on a slow news day (and hey, it's worked). Unless people can actually show evidence of the law (there's a nice site at http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/ to research this if anyone's keen), I don't think these urban legends should be propagated as fact.
Nigel Cawthorne certainly doesn't know what he's talking about - a state funeral requires a motion or vote in Parliament, so it's impossible for you to be "technically entitled to a state funeral".
Going out on a limb here, but I think the law outlawing murder probably postdates any law saying you can murder a Scotsman in York (and where's the evidence for that ever being true anyway?).
As for mince pies being illegal - all Cromwell's laws were repealed at the Restoration...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
