The Decline of the Common Law

Just watching the Beatles documentary of Let It Be, the part where they do the concert on the roof top. One thing that is striking is that it hadn't occurred to them that what they were doing was against the law. 

In those days, if something wasn't illegal it was legal.There was no law against playing on the rooftop so they thought they could play on the rooftop. Today the first thing you would think it to get a permit. 

There are a lot of things about the Common Law that are being lost today. The idea of innocent until proven guilty. The idea that a law has to state clearly what is prohibited so you can know what not to do. The idea that both sides get to speak and tell their story. These things used to be part of the common understanding of fairness, but no more. 

It is also worth noting that the 'Fab Four', filmed for hours during hard working days, were perfect gentlemen to one another and, as far as I can recall, used nary a word of profanity. 

A lot has been lost.