Human rights group Liberty are supporting the Metric Martyr's at the European Court of
Human Rights!!
Here is a transcript of what they have to say on their website. I have interspersed
some comments below!!
Metric Martyrs go to European Court - backed by Liberty
Application papers to be lodged in Strasbourg - 3pm Monday (local; 2pm BST)
The �Metric Martyrs� - five men criminalised by the state simply for selling food in
imperial measurements - will lodge papers at the European Court of Human Rights on
Monday (12th August).
Human rights group Liberty will co-ordinate the legal challenge for the Metric Martyrs
in their appeal to the European Court against the UK Government. The case will be
argued on several points under the European Convention on Human Rights - including
Article 6 (right to a fair trial), Article 9 (freedom of conscience), Article 10
(freedom of expression), Article 1 of Protocol 1 (the right to peaceful possession of
property).
The five - Steven Thoburn, Peter Collins, Colin Hunt, Julian Harman, and John Dove -
will be represented in Strasbourg on Monday by Metric Martyrs campaign fund
co-ordinator and former fishmonger Neil Herron, and Liberty director John Wadham, who
will act as co-ordinating solicitor for the European case. They will be at the
Strasbourg court on Monday at 3pm local time (2pm UK time) to lodge papers.
John Wadham, director of Liberty, says:
�It�s ridiculous that people should be criminalised for this. It�s completely out of
proportion. The Government, the EU and the criminal justice system should not be
involved in whether a grocer uses imperial or metric measurements - it�s ludicrous�.
Neil Herron, campaign coordinator for the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund, says:
"Our fight for justice - not only for these five men but also for customers and
shopkeepers across the land has been driven and supported wholeheartedly by the
British public, incensed and angered by the fact that the politicians, the supposed
custodians of their democracy, have treated them with such utter contempt".
BACKGROUND Four of the five were separately convicted of different offences -
summarised below - but the issues raised were the same. The divisional court was asked
to rule on whether various subordinate laws affecting the five cases were unlawful and
invalid. Human rights arguments went almost entirely unconsidered at this stage. On
15th July, four of the five were refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords -
leaving the European Court of Human Rights as their only resort.
Steven Thoburn, of Sunderland, was convicted of two offences under the Weights &
Measures Act - for using imperial scales that did not have an official stamp (this had
been removed by a trading standards officer on a previous visit after he deemed the
imperial scales illegal). He was pricing goods in the metric system as well as the
imperial system.
Colin Hunt, trading in Hackney, was convicted under the Price Making Order 1999 for
failing to advertise prices in metric. After converting his scales to metric in line
with council advice, he made errors converting the price to imperial and was convicted
under the Prices Act 1974.
Julian Harman (greengrocer) & John Dove (fishmonger), both trading in Camelford in
Cornwall, were each convicted under the 1999 Price Marking Orders. Their offences
included displaying signs pricing Brussels Sprouts and Pollack by the pound.
Peter Collins, in Sutton, was not convicted of any criminal offence. His licence to
trade in fruit and vegetables contained conditions that he could only weigh and sell
in metric (though he could display additional imperial prices). He complained to the
magistrates� court under the Local Government Act; his appeal was dismissed. NB Some
of the five regularly used the metric system alongside the imperial system; they
stress that they are not anti-metric and that the offence in question is not refusing
to use metric, but continuing to use imperial measurements.
John Wadham said:
�It�s ridiculous that people should be criminalised for this. It�s completely out of
proportion. The Government, the EU and the criminal justice system should not be
involved in whether a grocer uses imperial or metric measurements - it�s ludicrous�.
Well, the Government has ALWAYS deemed what units of weights and measures are legal
for trade and a trader has ALWAYS risked a criminal conviction if they persistently
break weights and measures law!!
Steve Thoburn, Colin Hunt, etc, would have been treated the same if they had sold tems
by the stone, the bushel or the peck, all of which are illegal for trade!!
"On 15th July, four of the five were refused leave to appeal to the House of Lords -
leaving the European Court of Human Rights as their only resort."
They conveniently forget to mention that they went to Court in Sunderland and lost,
then were allowed to appeal and lost again!! The House of Lords could not find enough
grounds for an appeal!!
Why are Liberty getting involved in this?? Indeed, what human rights are being denied
the Metric Martyrs??
Are they being denied the right to trade or the right to serve their customers the
measures they ask for?? No, they are not!! Traders can price in pounds supplementary
to metric, a customer can ask for a pound and they can give them a pound!!
As these regulations have been in place for shops, supermarkets and all other traders
for the past two years now, I am curious to know why it's taken them till now to
decide it's against traders human rights?? Indeed, as traders have always been bound
by weights and measures law, whether imperial OR metric, if the Metric Martyrs WERE to
win their appeal, then surely it effectively renders ALL weights and measures law null
and void??
It's the only conclusion to come to!! If they consider that this law is against their
human rights, then surely ALL weights and measures law is too??
I can only come to two conclusions here; either Liberty has not done their homework on
the legalities of this case (something I consider EXTREMELY unlikely) or that they
have some sort of agenda giving backing to a blatantly political cause such as this!!
I do hope it isn't the latter!!
Regards,
Steve.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
