ATTITUDE OF COURTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 126, 24 November 1938, Page 11

ATTITUDE OF COURTS

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

The attitude of some Magistrates towards prosecutions instituted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was, the subject of strong comment by the chairman of the Wellington Society (Mr. J. R. Salt) at the annual meeting held in the Charming Hall last night.

Referring to the financial difficulties the society has had to face, Mr. Salt said that during the past year it had been necessary to pay out a considerable amount in court costs because of the attitude apparently taken by Magistrates towards the work the society was doing. There was a time when every case brought by the society was dealt with in a very different manner than at present, he said. Action was taken only on the advice of the society's solicitors, and then only in very bad cases where repeated warnings had proved of no avail.

A lc'; of cases had been dismissed. Apparently all the culprit had to say was that he did not know he was being cruel. If a burglar was before the Court the charge was not dismissed if he said that he did not know he was breaking the law. AGAINST THE ANIMAL. "Today everything is arraigned against the animal," said Mr. Salt, "and the animal cannot speak for itself."

The chairman reviewed in detail some cases in which the society had been unsuccessful.

"One wonders what is behind all this," said Mr. Salt. "We are not taking cases to court just for the love of it. It is only two or three times a year that we bring anyone to court, yet the moment we do so we are mulcted in charges. One case will cost us £50 or £60. One wonders what New Zealand is coming to."