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WANSTEAD: 'Metric martyr' will not pay legal fees (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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WANSTEAD: 'Metric martyr' will not pay legal fees
8:40am Tuesday 13th January 2009
WANSTEAD 'metric martyr' Janet Devers will not have to pay any legal fees towards her failed prosecution by Hackney Council for selling fruit and veg in pounds and ounces on her market stall.
Last month the Guardian reported that the authority would not proceed as scheduled with their case this January against Ms Devers, of Colbrook Road, in the wake of overwhelming public pressure.
And yesterday at a formal hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Ms Devers was told the taxpayer would foot the bill for her costs incurred by Hackney Council's aborted case.
She was also formally found not guilty of four charges under the Weights and Measures Act, as the authority failed to present any evidence against her.
Ms Devers was previously fined nearly £5,000 after being found guilty under separate counts of breaking the same act back in October.
She is currently appealing the conviction.
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Your Say Your Guardian
Touchwood, Walthamstow says...
9:41am Tue 13 Jan 09
Technomist, Walthamstow says...
10:12am Tue 13 Jan 09
Ferdy50, Chingford says...
11:55am Tue 13 Jan 09
I still prefer to convert it back to pounds & ounces whenever I buy fruit & veg. She was just making it easier for everyone.
It doesnt mention in the article that the EU have told the UK they dont need to enforce these rules anymore. Thats more of a reason that the council gave up then 'public pressure'.
Stowaway, Walthamstow says...
9:01pm Tue 13 Jan 09
Dorotheen Strass, REDBRIDGE says...
10:57pm Thu 15 Jan 09
Technomist, Walthamstow says...
10:54am Fri 16 Jan 09
In the countries for which claims are made about being completely metric, in fact local systems run parallel. In France, livres are still commonly used, in China, no-one buys in markets by the Kilo, the official system, they use local words (like Jin or Catty) for a unit which is generally about half that size. School rulers may be marked out in cm, but the world over they are often a foot long, whether they have inches marked on them or not.
Your sayYour Guardian
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'Metric martyr' Janet Devers, relaxing at home in Wanstead.
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manny mark, REDBRIDGE says...
9:40am Tue 13 Jan 09
What a wasted amount of money. I don't like this liberal using words like 'martyr' these days its all too much scarey as well.