The law is an ass

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Meaning

A law or its rigid application is foolish, unjust or contrary to common sense. Blunt and critical but not obscene in British usage; 'ass' here means donkey. Dickens intentionally wrote the character's ungrammatical 'a ass.' Regional use: British English, now used more widely.

Origin

Charles Dickens made the saying famous through Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist in 1838, but he did not invent it. A close form, 'the law is such an ass,' appears in Revenge for Honour, published in 1654 and of disputed authorship. Dickens's memorable wording turned an older comparison between foolish law and a proverbially obstinate donkey into a durable public complaint.

Research Sources

  1. The law is an ass Phrase Finder
  2. The law is an ass Cambridge University Press

Variants

  • The law is a ass
  • The law is such an ass

Usage Examples

  • If helping a stranded boat breaks that rule, the law is an ass.
  • The law is such an ass when it punishes the clerk but excuses the fraudster.
  • Faced with the absurd fee, the magistrate privately admitted that the law was an ass.

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