LEGAL REGULATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 10

LEGAL REGULATION.

OPOSSUM SKINS CHARGE. MAGISTRATE'S COMMENT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) NELSON, this day. "This is a clumsily-worded regulation, and it looks as if I have to interpret it at my own risk," said the magistrate of the Nelson Magistrate's Court, Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M., referring to a regulation in the Animals Protection Act, under which a charge was brought before him yesterday of illegal possession of opossum skins. Leonard A. Turner was the ) erson charged with the offence. He. was represented by Mr, J. R. Kerr. Defendant said in evidence that the skins were trapped by him prior to August 31, 011 his brother's property. He disposed of them on August 31, and when the poliee commenced investigar tions the skins were out of his possession.

Senior Sergeant Stark said that defendant had made a statement to the police in which he admitted that he did not hold a license and that he had captured the skins by means of traps. He had wondered how to get rid of the skins, and decided to get another man to take them to a wool and skin company and dispose of them in another man's name. He pressed for a very heavy penalty. In this case the maximum fine would be £7*35.

_ Mr. Kerr argued about the interpretation of the word in the regulation, "found." Xq evidence had been produced to show that the skins had been found in defendant's possession, as required by the regulation. He claimed that the maximum penalty was £10. The sergeant said that the skins were "found" in the possession of defendant on August 31, though the defence did not admit that.

The magistrate eaicl that lie wished to be satisfied by whom the skins had to be found in possession of defendant for that part of the regulation to apply. The regulation was clumsily worded, he ftdded. He reserved his decision for a week,