Nudity and the law
How much do you really know about the law and nudity in your own garden, on the beach etc in your own country? We are very surprised at the number of people in the UK, including police officers, who do not understand the law in regard to private and public nudity.G&J
British Naturism (bn.org.uk) have brought out an extremely useful wallet-sized pamphlet on Public Place Naturism.
Free to download here (only applicable to England and Wales):
https://www.bn.org.uk/community/ccs_files/briefings/140529_Legal_Guidance_E_amp_W_2014.pdf
Thanks Miker 1947 and Barry Crouch.Our question was really aimed at those who don't understand the law and whether there is the same lack of understanding elsewhere in the world. We have the BN 'guide' which is quite useful and have shown it to others in order to clarify misunderstandings. We have had one incident with the police when the officer in question had a completely misguided idea of the law he thought he was enforcing.
As I read it the original question was about the law and nudity in our garden whereas the BN guide is about the law and nudity in public places.Again as I read it the relevant legislation (s 5 of the Public Order Act) excludes displays (of nudity etc.) in a private dwelling. But does this include the garden? I think common sense should prevail. If you are naked in a garden which is open to public view you may be asking for trouble. But if your garden is well screened you should be safe. Surely if a voyeur has to take special measures (like standing on a ladder) orenters your garden it is the voyeur who is at fault by invading your privacy.This is as it is in England and Wales (please correct me if I'm wrong). It can be very different in other countries. Some European countries tolerate public nudity within reason whilst (I'm told) certain States don't even allow nudity in a private place.
Hello everyone, I'm glad this topic has come up...I had an experience last Monday (august 11) that I have some questions about myself.
It was a beautiful day and I had taken the day off from work to take care of some business. I took care of my in town shopping early and returned home to complete the main order of business via telephone so I could enjoy the day out in the sun, this didn't take very long to complete and soon I was gathering up my chainsaw, oil, gas and tools and heading down to the hollow on my own private property to cut up a tree for coming season fire wood when... about 20 to 30 minutes in working on this tree I see a Deputy Sheriff walking across my yard toward me. I live on 5.36 acres here in Huntsville Arkansas U.S. out in the country and the place where I was cutting up the tree is completely private, there is absolutely no way anyone could see me, the officer couldn't see me when he pulled up and had to get out of his car and walk around til he found me. As he drew nearer he said, "sir can you come over here and talk to me?" I asked, "shall I put my shorts on?" he replied "please do", so I asked him what the problem was and he said that when I got my shorts on and got over to him he'd explain why he was there. So I get my shorts on and walk over to him and he begins, he says he's here because he received a call from someone who wants to remain anonymous who says she saw a nude man outside, she said that although she doesn't mind seeing a naked man outside "she is worried about children who might see." Immediately when I hear that I am angered, I feel like I have just been labeled as some kind of pervert. I keep my cool with the officer, no need to make matters worse, I ask the officer to look around him and tell me what he sees, I ask him to tell me just who he thinks could possibly see me here, he is dumbfounded for an answer and begins to question me about where I have been that I think someone could have seen me. I tell the officer what I've been doing that morning and that I am a naturist, have been all my life, I've lived here for 20 yrs, been a member of AANR for many yrs and have never had the police called on me before, I rack my brain trying to think of anyplace I had been where someone could have seen me nude... hmmm, just in my house and yard since I had gotten back from town that morning are the only places I've been nude that day, my neighbors are both far enough away that it would take a high powered telescope to see from their places but, again, I have been here for 20 yrs and have never had a problem, I tell the officer I have no idea where anyone would have seen me, he asks if I walk nude around my yard near the drive way where someone driving by could have seen? So I began thinking that the officer, trying to keep the callers identity secret, has just told me where I was seen from. I say yes, I roam all over my entire yard, I tell the officer that I am pretty good about listening for vehicles out here in the country, it is very quiet most of the time and you can actually hear vehicle tires on the road from a great distance, and I am always out of sight when a vehicle drives by, and when I use a tool that makes noise (lawnmower, weedeater, hedgetrimmer, chainsaw) near a place I could be seen I am always covered up. He asks about me using the chainsaw that day and he was able to walk right up to me, I say yes but you couldn't see me when you got here, you had to walk around and find me, I was well out of sight of anyone and I'm on private property, he said that it doesn't matter that I'm on my own private property and that I have to keep my shorts on anytime I am outside in public view even in my own yard. There are a few places around my yard that can be seen from the main road (dirt road) and I always stay away from those places when there is traffic, there is also much space that is not visible from the road and I know I am "safe" there. I don't agree with the officer that I have to stay covered up all the time on 'my own private property.' I also find it very unsettling that someone driving by can dictate what I can and cannot do in my own yard.
I am interested to know what you think... am I wrong? ...is the officer wrong? ...is the passerby who called the cops wrong? No tickets or citations of any kind were issued but I feel very violated, I worry now when I go outside in the nude that there is someone somewhere laying-in-wait for me so they can call the cops. I have contacted AANR with my story and am awaiting their response also. I have also figured out since then where the caller must have seen me from and that she was only able to see me from the righthand side view as I was walking and for only about a second, maybe 2 seconds and she was looking through hedges.
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