New Cow-Tail Docking Appeal

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31407, 28 June 1967, Page 3

New Cow-Tail Docking Appeal

(New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, June 27. A Morrinsville Magistrate’s Court decision to dismiss charges concerning cow-tail docking will now go before the Court of Appeal.

In the Hamilton Supreme Court today Mr Justice Speight granted a motion for leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the dismissal of the charges.

William Earl Silcock, a Tahuna farmer, pleaded not guilty to charges of cruelly ill-treating a cow and mutilating a cow, causing unnecessary pain and suffering, by removing part of its tail with de-horning shears. Mr T. B. Mooney, S.M., dismissed the charges on June 14 last year. The informant was Albert Victor Garrick, Waikato branch president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mr R. F. Feenstr: appeared for Garrick and Mr R. F. Annan for Silcock. An appeal against the dismissal was made in the Hamilton Supreme Court on April 14. Mr Justice Speight dis-

missed the appeal against the cruel ill-treatment charge dismissal. He referred the second charge back to the Magistrate for reconsideration of the evidence. The Magistrate subsequently dismissed the charge again.

In the Supreme Court appeal, Mr Feenstra had said the Magistrate was wrong in saying that pain and suffering could be determined from physical reaction. He had also claimed that there was no evidence presented that proved the docking of cow’s tails was an advisable dairying practice. Mr Justice Speight had said there was not sufficient evidence to establish that there had been cruel ill-treatment.