Whilst logically the advice to bone up on the local laws before going seems good, in practice no one can reasonable be expected to study everything they might need to know before being a guest for a week or two.
If a foreign country values the income from tourism then it ought be lenient on those minor laws that a visitor could reasonably expect not to know about. If they don't then their reputation should be made known so folk can book to go elsewhere,
As for north of Hadrian's Wall, I think it's a crime to be a Sassenach.