A BOOKMAKER'S, APPEAL.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11871, 19 April 1904, Page 4

A BOOKMAKER'S, APPEAL.

(SPECUX TO "THE PMESS.") WELLINGTON, April 18. The whole question respecting the rights of bookmakers to enter upon racecourses is likely to be raised again in the Court of Appeal next sitting. Mr Harper applied to the Court to-day to eet down the case Crown t v Fairburn. Defendant is a bookmaker, and was convicted on police prosecution by the Ghristchurch magistrate for having trespassed on the Christchurch racecourse, and sentenoed to a month's imprisonment, hie committal being deferred pending an appeal. A number of other caeee turn on mis case, and it was desired that the question should be settled either by the Court of Appeal or by a Full Bench of Judges sitting as a Supreme Court. Mr Justice Williame, who presided, thought that there should be legislation giving a Supreme Court Judge the power of removing into the Court of Appeal, with the consent of toe parties, cases like the present, where there was no right to appeul to that Court, just as a Judge now has power to remove civil cases. He did not see how the Court could deal with the case at the present sittings. Mr Harper said that about fifty summonses had been issued* against other bookmakers for the same offence. The Court declined to add the case to the list on account of the Judges having business elsewhere, and there was no time to take it at the present sittings.