Counsel For Riders At Inquiries Urged

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31041, 22 April 1966, Page 6

Counsel For Riders At Inquiries Urged

CNeio Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. The Jockeys’ Association asked for an amendment to the Rules of Racing on Wednesday when it made submissions to the Racing Conference’s committee of inquiry. The amendment would give jockeys the right to legal representation when they appear before judicial committees on “important charges.”

An example of an important charge was Rule 282, which dealt with the riding of a horse on its merits, said the jockeys’ submission. Many association members had not a high standard of education, yet had to face cross-examination on a matter affecting their livelihood. The association also expressed dissatisfaction with “the ad hoc appointment of judicial committees by clubs”

which resulted in “largely inexperienced persons sitting in judgment over jockeys’ livelihoods.” Uniformity would be obtained if the appointment of judicial committees was left to district committees rather than to clubs, said the submission. The association recommended that the press should be admitted to hearings of important charges so that justice “would appear to be done,” as well as being done. Rule 89 (1) was another cause of dissatisfaction. “This rule,” submitted the association, “which invests the executive committee of conference with the indisputable right of its own motion to cancel or suspend any licence without in any case assigning any reason for its action should be revoked as a negation of democracy and a denial of right of appeal.”