THE GAME LAWS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 1 July 1932, Page 7

THE GAME LAWS

LAND-HOLDERS’ RIGHTS UPHELD BY MAGISTRATE In the course of a judgment delivered at the Blenheim Magistrate’s Court Mr T. E.. Maunsell, S.M., upheld the right of a land-holder, or his son or daughter, to shoot game over his own properly without securing a license from the Acclimatisation Society (reports the “Express”). The" case under review was one heard at the last sittings of the Court, in which the Marlborough Acclimatisation Society’s ranger, Albert Richard Gibson took action against three Maoris, William Luke, Henry Luke, and Abraham (“Kopa”l Stafford. William Luke was charged with failing to pi e duce his license to the ranger on 4th May and Henry Luke with a similar offence on 3rd May, while Stafford, in addition to a charge of failing to produce his license on 3rd May, was also charged with failing to give the ranger his name and address when H' iuestcd so to do. The defence relied mainly upon Clause 3, of Section 14 of the Animals Protection Act, which reads:— (3) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this section, any person in bona tide occupation of any laud, and any son *or daughter of such person may. during an open season, take and kill on that land, without a license. . . . any imported game

or native game. . . His Worship said he had come to the conclusion that the defendants were shooting on their own land and, that being so, the cases would be dismissed. Counsel for the defendants applied for costs, but His Worship declined the application, holding that the _ Society had reasonable grounds to bring the prosecution, which was not vexatious.