On Sun, 14 Jan 2001 12:24:12 -0500, "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >2001-01-14 > >This morning's Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a most interesting article >entitled: British nudist walks free, clad in smile after his trial. > >This man, Vincent Bethell, 28 was arrested on numerous occasions on the >charge of breaking some 18-th century law of being a public nuisance by >wandering around naked. To make a long story short the court acquitted him >by not being able to prove that public nudity is a nuisance. The >prosecutor, Orlando Gibbons said: Bethell's insistence on walking around >nude was likely to "harm the morals of the public or their comfort, or >obstruct the public in the enjoyment of their rights". Since the court >could not define the legal definition of comfort, the jury set him free. >Despite the verdict, the police and prosecutors have vowed to continue to >arrest him if he is found wandering around au natural again. > >I see a parallel with the "metric martyr's" case. Before a jury, if the >court is unable to prove that by selling in non-SI measures, that the >traders are doing harm to the public by continuing to uses imperial units, a >sympathetic jury might set him free. Not quite the same, surely? Thoburn isn't being charged with 'being a nuisance', but with breaking a quite clearly defined (OK, not perfect!) law. He's been charged with using scales not certified for use: that is clear in fact, even if it might be challenged as to the right for the certification to be removed. -- -- Chris KEENAN UK Metrication: http://www.metric.org.uk/ UK Correspondent, US Metric Association
