To own a still is prohibited in some countries
In many countries it is illegal to poses a still or even to poses a part of a still. The Law is open for interpretation and not very clear – a thermometer is a part of a still and so is a stainless tube.
These strange laws are based on great ignorance. Politicians may believe that a still manufactures alcohol but this is not the case. A still does not manufacture anything. Distillation it is merely a concentration or purification process, the alcohol must be there to start with. Alcohol is produced by fermentation, not by distilling, so logically it is fermentation that should be prohibited. Strangely enough it is perfectly legal to ferment wine and beer for private use. Can legislation be founded on the wrong premises?
Distilling is a process to separate fluids. In order to produce alcohol, it must already be present like in a legally made home wine or beer. Or why not in a legally purchased bottle of wine or spirit? We should not forget that distillation is a hobby and it is very likely that you could just be interested in the process, i.e. to find out how it works and what the result will taste like. The only thing we do with a still is moving our own legal alcohol from one place to another. This has been declared illegal due to politicians eager to control our lives.
As if this was not enough you are not even allowed to poses a part of a still in many countries. This reflects the way the ruling politicians look at their subjects; It is illegal, no matter how responsible you are. You need to be treated like a child in this matter but it is ok to buy spirit which reaps a high tax profit for the state.