BREACHES OF THE LICENSING LAWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 29 January 1909, Page 4

BREACHES OF THE LICENSING LAWS.

STRONG CONDEMNATION AT AUCKLAND. [United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Thursday. Judgment was given this afternoon . by Mr Kettle, S.M., in the case of the police against William Henry \v rathall, the licensee of the St. Heher s Bay Hotel for having on Sunday, the __Oth of Dcember last, sold liquor in contravention of the licensing laws, the defendant being fined £16 on each of the three convictions. . His Worship, after giving his verdict, went on to say that he saw no t reason to alter the opinion he expressed j yesterday about the manner in which the caso waa brought. It was not M propor thins for any one, especially oonstables and detectives, to tempt, or induce, or procure any persons to commit any kind of offence with a view of prosecuting them, if they fell. He thought that anyone who went to an hotel at an hour when the sale of liquor was illegal, and attempted to get the licensee to serve him, was, in law, eoually guilty with the licensee who served him. In his Worship's opinion it was a wrong thing for anyone, policeman or detective, to ro into an liotel and buy, offering money to induce the licensee to commit a breach of the Act. Section 54 of the Gamin? Act indemnified the police in caffs ot this kind, and if necessary in this Act, it should be in the Licensing Act. Until such a section wns introduced into tin' Licencing Act making it lawful for persons to act as theso constables did, their conduct was, in his opinion, not only wrong, but it was ' contrary to law and contrary to Ins sense of British fair-play.