I got interested in reading this, so I edited a little....
Nat
Ananova :
'Metric martyr' loses court battle
Britain's latest so-called metric martyr has lost his battle to sell fruit
and vegetables in pounds and ounces. Grocer Peter Collins, 51, from Sutton,
Surrey, had claimed that Sutton Council had breached his commercial freedom
of expression under the European Human Rights Act by trying to force him to
sell in kilos. He lost his case at Sutton Magistrates Court aimed at lifting
a condition on his licence compelling him to sell his goods in metric
measurements in line with European directives. Costs of �13,000 were awarded
to the council, which vowed to enforce payment.
After the ruling, Mr Collins, who has traded from the stall in Sutton High
Street for 15 years, said that it was "very probable" that he would appeal.
He said: "It's not the local council I'm fighting, it's Brussels. The
outcome of this case says that we do not make the law and if we do not abide
by Brussels' rules then woe betide you. This ruling is effectively saying
that I should teach the public the metric system and I do not see why I
should do that." Trading standards officers had warned Mr Collins that he
had to sell and advertise his produce in kilos or face losing his licence.
The warning came after undercover officers bought a bunch of grapes from him
in imperial weights.
Tony Northcott, head of health and trading standards at Sutton Council, said
that they did not want to drive Mr Collins out of business but they had to
enforce the law. Michael Plumbe), chairman of the British Weights and
Measures Association, said: "It is a perverse decision which is a complete
negation of British justice. It is a bad day for British justice. We believe
we have a strong case for appeal now." The council had argued that using
metric measurements will be compulsory by December 2009 and that confidence
in the new system will grow as people get used to dealing in metric
measurement.
Story filed: 12:27 Friday 13th July 2001
--
>From Ananova:
> Ananova :
>
>
>
>
>
> 'Metric martyr'
loses court battle
>
>
> Britain's latest
so-called metric martyr has lost his battle to sell
> fruit and
vegetables in pounds and ounces.
>
> Grocer Peter
Collins, 51, from Sutton, Surrey, had claimed that
> Sutton Council had
breached his commercial freedom of
> expression under
the European Human Rights Act by trying to
> force him to sell
in kilos.
>
> He lost his case at
Sutton Magistrates Court aimed at lifting a
> condition on his
licence compelling him to sell his goods in
> metric measurements
in line with European directives.
>
> Costs of �13,000
were awarded to the council, which vowed to
> enforce payment.
>
> After the ruling,
Mr Collins, who has traded from the stall in
> Sutton High Street
for 15 years, said that it was "very probable"
> that he would
appeal.
>
> He said: "It's not
the local council I'm fighting, it's Brussels. The
> outcome of this
case says that we do not make the law and if
> we do not abide by
Brussels' rules then woe betide you. This
> ruling is
effectively saying that I should teach the public the
> metric system and I
do not see why I should do that."
>
> Trading standards
officers had warned Mr Collins that he had to
> sell and advertise
his produce in kilos or face losing his licence.
> The warning came
after undercover officers bought a bunch of
> grapes from him in
imperial weights.
>
> Tony Northcott,
head of health and trading standards at Sutton
> Council, said that
they did not want to drive Mr Collins out of
> business but they
had to enforce the law.
>
> Michael Plumbe),
chairman of the British Weights and
> Measures
Association, said: "It is a perverse decision which is
> a complete negation
of British justice. It is a bad day for British
> justice.
>
> We believe we have
a strong case for appeal now."
>
> The council had
argued that using metric measurements will
> be compulsory by
December 2009 and that confidence in the
> new system will
grow as people get used to dealing in metric
> measurement.
>
> Story filed: 12:27
Friday 13th July 2001
--
UK Metrication Association: http://www.metric.org.uk/
