JOCKEYS’ APPEALS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12101, 9 July 1920, Page 7

JOCKEYS’ APPEALS.

COUNSEH GRACIOUSLY PERMITTED TO ATTEND.

WELLINGTON, Last night,

The interim judgment of Messrs George Hunter, C. P. Skerrett, and B. A. Campbell, the Racing Conference judges, in the matter of appeals by L. H. Hewitt, J. B. O’Shea and E. C. Rae, jockeys, against the decisions of the Auckland District Committee in suspending their jockey licenses for the remainder of the season, in, connection with certain breaches of the rules of racing, is as follows;—When the judges met to hear the above appeals, the secretary of the Racing Conference placed before them communications from the appellants, in which they stated their determination not to leave Auckland for the purpose of attending the hearing of the appeals, until the judges had decided whether or not they would be permited the use of an advocate at the hearing. It was stated that the appellants considered their powers inadequate to represent their cases properly at the hearing. It has not been the practice hitherto to allow counsel to represent either party at the hearing of appeals before the judges appointed ’ by the president of the Racing Conference. The present judges are of opinion that the practice has been a proper and salutary one, and neither party has suffered by its adoption, in having his case adequately presented and carefully considered by the judges. They are loth to depart from this well-recognised procedure, and do so upon the distinct understanding that it shall not form a precedent for the procedure of hearing further appeals. They have decided in these cases to permit the appellants to be represented by counsel on the hearing of these appeals, for the sole reason that in the abnormal conditions which have arisen, they desire to make it impossible for any suggestion that the appellants were unable to adequately present their cases before them. The judges wish to make it clear that the counsel permitted to appear must be a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court, representing only the appellants, and the hearing will be confined strictly to the question whether the appellants or any of them have been rightly adjudged to have committed the offences against the rules of racing, the subject of the above decisions, and have been rightly punished for such offences. It follows from the permission given to the appellants to be represented by counsel that the respondents will have a similar right. The hearing of the appeals will, therefore, be adjourned to Wednesday, the 21st July, at 10.30 a.m., at the Accountants’ Chambers, Johnston Street, Wellington.