Any law behind lock picking?

Dreadi said:
Because the lock is there to keep someone out of somewhere and by picking it your effectively entering?
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So what about picking locks that aren't doing that?

Like, say, helping a friend who's locked out get back into their house...
 
Scuzi said:
If the police stop you and find a lock pick kit on you, unless you have a bloody good story, i.e. being a locksmith, I believe they can prosecute you for something along the lines of having equipment with which there is intent to commit a crime. I forget the actual wording of the law but I recall reading it when I purchased a lock pick kit some years ago.
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Does a shoelace count? :p

Parents mistakenly locked the door with the chain and left through the back. Took a couple of friends and a shoelace to open the door using the letter hole thingy :p
 
vonhelmet said:
I can't imagine there can be any law against picking a lock that you have permission to pick and/or damage.
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And that is the correct answer to the best of my knowledge. You aren't committing a crime when you 'break' into your own property unless the police are feeling really vindictive and possibly charge you with creating a disturbance/breach of the peace or similar.
 
Pulsar_GTI said:
Bump keys are useful if you wonna break a padlock or anything

My family own a locksmith business (thats where i work) tis quite intresting .... sometimes :)
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pah! bump keys are far to crude, and they damage the lock. pick + Torsion wrench is where its at!
 
couldn't a ciminal use that excust for entering a house to burgal it, "i'm a locksmith & just testing how (un)secure this house is?" but then again, when was the last time you saw a police officer ron the beat?
 
Dj_Jestar said:
Breaking and Entering. If it's a property, then trespassing will also be charged.
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Is there actually a criminal law for trespassing??

"In England and Wales, despite the prevalence of notices asserting that "trespassers will be prosecuted", unless the trespass is aggravated in some way, it will only be a civil wrong."
from wiki
 
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Scuzi said:
Sounds familiar. It's similar to guys being caught with screwdrivers and knives etc. I'll see if I can hoke out the actual wording of the law.
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I think the particular phrase is 'going equipped' and usually relates to potential burglary or criminal damage.
 
milkinc13 said:
couldn't a ciminal use that excust for entering a house to burgal it, "i'm a locksmith & just testing how (un)secure this house is?" but then again, when was the last time you saw a police officer ron the beat?
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I'd have my doubts (and I'm not talking about bobbys on the beat). All that would be required would be to ask the householder if they had requested a locksmith to gain entry to the house - if yes, carry on - if no, proceed directly to jail, do not collect £200.
 
Picking locks is actually surprisingly hard, thats if you doing it in the non destructive way.

Its actually a lot of fun...

a mate of mine had to write away for his lock pick, and state that he wasn't using it to steel anything, etc.

the cops don't take to kindly to you having it on your person, so i wouldn't hang around in dark alleyways practicing your skills :p
 
I've had to ask people to break into my own home twice now (stupid lock system on the front door). Should I go hand myself in for some sort of conspiracy? :D
 
Scuzi said:
If the police stop you and find a lock pick kit on you, unless you have a bloody good story, i.e. being a locksmith, I believe they can prosecute you for something along the lines of having equipment with which there is intent to commit a crime. I forget the actual wording of the law but I recall reading it when I purchased a lock pick kit some years ago.
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I'd have got go with Scuzi on this.
 
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