My son would like to know if there is anyplace in the world where there are no laws?

Question

My 13 year old was talking about a small place that is in the world that there are no laws... myself and hubby have no idea what he is talking about. Help please =) Kinda a debate going on now.

Answer 1

i have heard about this but can't really pin point the place....and its not just one place.
many rich people own small islands in the pacific and around the world. i saw a documentary once about a rich chemist from US who owned an island in pacific. it was a really small island....you could probably build like 10 houses on it but he had his own constitution, flag, name etc but no laws....so your son is obviously right even though he might be talking about a different place.

additional comments.
people are saying that Antarctica has no laws which is false information. there are few countries like US, china, India, Russia and France that i am aware of have permanent bases there and a treaty was signed regarding the management of Antarctica which i have posted below.

Answer 2

Now that's an interesting questions!

Would like to know of such a place myself. Maybe I'd go along with him.

It's hard to consieve there is such a place. However, my geography isn't the best.

If there is such a place it would probably be a small island in the middle of the ocean somewhere. He may have to share it with the seals though.

This pretty much sounds like the movie Tom Hanks was in. He was stuck on an island alone and the only company he had was a football. Didn't look like there were any laws on that island.

It's kind of fun to have a debate going, but I think it's time for a trip to the library to find out for sure. Don't do it for him. You should all go together. After all he started the debate. Are you sure he isn't "pulling your leg"? Sounds like something a 13 year old would do. And that's why I say you should all go
together so you can see for yourselves.

Have fun with your debate and trip to the library.

Answer 3

There are tribes in Africa and South America that don't really have laws but they have hiearchies.

The strongest is the leader and everyone else follows. It is generally instinctual and more invovled than that but that is the basic idea.

There has to be order for humans to live. Even if the laws are just common sense or a kind of animal instinct. It is the downside of being social creatures. In order to live with others you have to respect them. Laws and rules give a guide to treating others.

If everyone had respect we wouldn't need them, but someone usually goes and does something stupid then a law is made.

Add: International waters are covered by Maritime Law.

Answer 4

Aside from Antarctica when there are no people there, there are laws in pretty much every inhabited place. An exception might be Somalia which up until pretty recently was ruled by street gangs. Piracy, robbery, extortion and murder were the rule. One's friends and family were all the protection one had. Piracy on the high seas of unsuspecting commercial shipping was an accepted profession. If it sounds like hell on earth, it probably was.

Answer 5

You could tell him that the law of gravity applies to all parts of the earth.

Generally, most land is owned, and ownership brings laws.

If you can find a bit of land that isn't owned, then there would be know law there.

International waters don't count. There are laws governing what you can do at sea. For instance, you can't launch cruise missiles at airplanes just for the fun of it.

Private property doesn't count.

I would stick with the gravity story, or the law of thermodynamics...can't go wrong!

Answer 6

there is no place even the smallest of places would have rules set by the leader or elders even if it is only everything is mine there would be some rules

Answer 7

International waters : belongs to no country

Answer 8

Antarctica (Sp?)

An unmapped island.

In the middle of the ocean.