In olden times the King made all the laws. Had doing something the king said not to been treason then all lawbreaking would have been treason.
English law is set on precedent - a tenth century law can be used in court if no later precedent has been set. It is then possible for a new precedent to be set. In recent years an old parish law was used to save a hospital from closure. It is very rare that this is done though. My understanding is prosecution is most likely to be under the 1981 Wildlife Protection act but that the Act of Swans brought about in Tudor times still remains on the statute books and can be used. There were a couple of earlier acts but the Act in 1500s replaces them. Dyer and Vintners claims only relate to swans along the banks of the THames. In 2010 Cambridge University asked the Queen to kill a vicious swan interfering with their boating lol
