Weights & Measures

[Bonzo 2000]

Is there anything in the legislation that prevents someone from over-measuring, especially with loose goods being measured at the point of sale, such as loose meats or alcoholic drinks. It wouldnt do the business cash flow any favours, but could the landlord be in trouble if he served say 27ml of my favourite malt whisky when the price list refers to 25ml measures?

[Kathyan]

Years ago there used to be a Weights and Measures dept who went around shops and pubs checking the scales and dispensers etc to see that they were giving the correct amounts. I don't know if this dept still exists, but I would have thought that there should be some checks made.

[Bonzo 2000]

Kathyan - these types of inspections certainly do still exist, usually carried out by Trading Standards officers. They can turn up unannounced to check weighing scales or pub measures to make sure punters are not being given short measures. My question, however, is whether the proprietor would be in trouble for giving larger measures than he/she is supposed to.

[Ethel]

Only from the bosses, if they are employees..

[Diane1954]

he would only get into trouble if he used it to obtain "an unfair advantage".Difficult to see how he would though!

[Buenchico]

It's a sort of 'yes and no' answer here.

The law specifically relating to incorrect measures only makes it an offence to serve lesser quantities than the contract with the purchaser requires:
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegT ype=All+Primary&PageNumber=2&BrowseLetter=W&Na vFrom=1&parentActiveTextDocId=2191980&ActiveTe xtDocId=2192052&filesize=1858

However, the law also requires that publicans must only serve spirits in multiples of either 25ml or 35ml. Even if the publican advertised that he would sell you 27ml, and then served that quantity, he'd still be breaking the law.

There would be a defence, though, if the publican could show that he'd simply 'erred on the side of caution' in pouring your (nominal) 25ml measure. It's permissible to serve an excess measure if it was necessary to do so to ensure that short measure wasn't served:
http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegT ype=All+Primary&PageNumber=2&BrowseLetter=W&Na vFrom=1&parentActiveTextDocId=2191980&ActiveTe xtDocId=2192069&filesize=581

Chris