LAW OPINION ON COURSING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1851, 10 September 1913, Page 5

LAW OPINION ON COURSING.

' 1 » NO CHANCE FOR COURT CASE. (By Teloerapli—Frees Association.) Dunedin, September 9. 'At a meeting of the committee of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to-day, a legal opinion was received from Mr. S. Solomon, K.C., with regard to plumpton coursing. The opinion stated that a prosecution under the Police Offences Act could not succeed: He assumed: (1) That the sport had been in Existence for a great many years; (2) that it was properly conducted, in the senso that all such steps were taken as were usual and reasonable to'minimise the suffering of the hares; (3) that the sport necessarily inflicted cruelty _ upon hares. Granting these assumptions, sucn a prosecution would not succeed until the casa of Hazelhurst v. Tucker, in 1906, was over-ruled by the Court of Appeal. This case was an appeal against a conviction by' the magistrate for shooting pigeons at a competition. It was proved that, when the birds were shot and not killed, steps were taken to end their suffering as speedily as possible. It seemed to hinf (Mr. Solomon) that coursing was a lawful sport, even at the cost of incidentally inflicting pain, and that this could not be regarded as contemplated cruelty. If it could be shown, however, that hares which were wounded, but not killed were allowed to lie about without being destroyed, his opinion would be the other way. After discussion, it was resolved that, in view of Mr. Solomon's opinion, no good l purpose would be served by calling the subscribers of the society together (as had been previously proposed) to discuss the matter. Tho motion was carried. An opinion was expressed that there would be no use in attempting to procure new legislation on the matter this session.