"Whilst deaths and injuries are thankfully few, these actions by those who are either impatient or ignorant of the law cause great cost, delay and disruption to both rail and road passengers across Britain, " Mr Langman added.

BBC: Warnings over level crossing 'madness' in Wales

Lower courts have used this ruling to uphold convictions, even in death-penalty cases, in which the defence lawyer was drunk, asleep during the trial or completely ignorant of the relevant law.

ECONOMIST: The criminal law

It's astounding that this president, who was once a professor of constitutional law at an elite university, would do so in such an ignorant fashion.

WSJ: The Man Who Knew Too Little