Weights and Measures Act 1985

8 Units of measurement, weights and measures lawful for use for trade

(1) No person shall—

(a) use for trade any unit of measurement which is not included in Parts I to V of Schedule 1 to this Act, or

(b) use for trade, or have in his possession for use for trade, any linear, square, cubic or capacity measure which is not included in Schedule 3 to this Act, or any weight which is not so included.

(2) No person shall use for trade—

(a) the ounce troy, except for the purposes of transactions in, or in articles made from, gold, silver or other precious metals, including transactions in gold or silver thread, lace or fringe, or

(b) the carat (metric), except for the purposes of transactions in precious stones or pearls, or

(c) a capacity measure of 125, 150 or 175 millilitres, except for the purposes of transactions in intoxicating liquor.

(3) Subsection (1)(a) above shall not apply to the prescribing of, or the dispensing of a prescription for, drugs.

(4) A person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) above shall be guilty of an offence, and any measure or weight used, or in any person's possession for use, in contravention of that subsection shall be liable to be forfeited.

(5) The preceding provisions of this section have effect subject to—

(a) sections 9 and 89 below, and

(b) regulation 9 of the [S.I. 1980/1070.] Units of Measurement Regulations 1980 (which authorises the use for trade of supplementary indications).

(6) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) amend Schedule 3 to this Act by adding to or removing from it any linear, square, cubic or capacity measure, or any weight;

(b) add to, vary or remove from subsection (2) above any restriction on the cases or circumstances in which, or the conditions subject to which, a unit of measurement, measure or weight may be used for trade or possessed for use for trade.

(7) An order under subsection (6) above may contain such transitional or other supplemental or incidental provisions as appear to the Secretary of State expedient.

(8) In this section " unit of measurement" means a unit of measurement of length, area, volume, capacity, mass or weight.