New Year’s Day isn’t just about hangovers, new calendars and the sobering thought of getting another year older. Every year a slew of new rules, laws and regulations come into effect. And 2016 is no different.
So as of Friday, same-sex marriage becomes legal in Estonia (the first former Soviet republic to do so), certain Turkish food imports are banned in Russia and Dutch shops will no longer be able to give away free plastic bags.
Stockholm and Copenhagen prepare to institute identity checks for people arriving in Sweden from Denmark - one of the major routes into the country for refugees, though the new rules don’t come into effect until Monday (Jan 4).
For two weeks from Friday some people in Delhi will only be able to drive their cars every second day in an attempt to reduce pollution in the city. Vehicles affected will be allowed on the road on alternating days, depending on whether their number plates start with an even or odd number. The law, which does not apply to taxis, buses or cars powered by natural gas or to any female drivers, is an attempt to reduce congestion and pollution in a city where 1,500 cars are added to the roads each day and where air quality is ranked “very poor”.
Indeed, 2016 is set to be a banner year for red-tape registration. Japan is introducing My Number, a social security and tax registration number that residents will carry with them through their lifetimes. In France, selling dogs and cats will get more bureaucratic, with a tax registration number needed for sales. The number must be published in all advertisements for the animals. This law is aimed at levelling the playing field between private sellers and fully licensed breeders.
On the issue of animals, it will become a class A misdemeanour to leave a pet outside in extreme temperatures in the US state of Illinois. The ban, which applies both extreme heat and extreme cold, was written in response to several dogs dying last winter after being left outside in subzero temperatures, and will carry a punishment of up to a year in prison and a fine of $2,500 (£1,700).
E-cigarettes will face something of a backlash. From 1 January, it will be illegal to sell tobacco in “kid-friendly” flavours such as grape and cherry in Ontario, Canada. A ban on the sale of e-cigarettes and vaporisers to people under the age of 19 will also come into effect in the province. The age limit will be even more strict in Hawaii, where it becomes illegal to sell tobacco products and e-cigarettes to under-21s. In the US state of Oregon, laws that ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants and indoor public places will be extended to cover e-cigarettes, vape pens, e-hookah and other inhalant devices.
Elsewhere, it’s a good start to the new year for women: elected female representatives take up their seats in Saudi Arabia after an unprecedented election last month, while Northern Ireland’s first minister will step down, paving the way for the province’s first female leader – Arlene Foster.
In Germany, meanwhile, new rules come into force under which the supervisory boards of large companies must include at least 30% women.
In the UK, a prison smoking ban will be phased in after a seven-year battle, postgrads will be able to apply for student loans and, believe it or not, rules pertaining to electric bicycles will be harmonised with those in Europe, complete with cut-off speed of 15.5mph. Girlguiding pack leaders will no longer be required to retire at 65.
Among more esoteric laws out there, “anchoring” a golf club – holding it against the body during the swing – is no longer allowed. Lambs intended for slaughter in the UK are no longer allowed to have non-electronic slaughter tags. And in New South Wales, Australia, property agents will be prohibited from underquoting a price expected at auction.
Finally, there are the grand institutional shifts, which are worth knowing but may not affect your daily life too much. The Netherlands takes over the EU presidency, Japan hosts the G7 summit, and Wroclaw in Poland and San Sebastián in Spain become European capitals of culture.
What have we missed? What other new laws come into effect in January? Let us know in the thread below.
