During the writing of my previous post on respecting the beliefs of others, I had cause to go and investigate two Acts of Parliament relating to human rights and equality laws. While reading them, the well known legal principle that “ignorance of the law is no defense” came to mind. While reading, I came to the conclusion that it is next to impossible for a layman like myself to understand all the complexities, nuances and technicalities of either of those Acts, and yet my lack of understanding counts for nothing in defence. The problem is discussed in a Times article here, which makes for interesting reading.
If you ask me, ignorance of the law might be no defence, but it sure as hell is understandable….