Hunter's case referred back to Magistrates' Court

The Court of Criminal Appeal has ordered that the case against a man charged with hunting during the close season be sent back to the Magistrates' Court.

The Magistrates' Court had fined Stefan Abela Lm300 after finding him guilty of hunting at Ghadira, a bird sanctuary, during the close season. He had also been found guilty of the illegal possession of a firearm.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, in the appeal court, noted that the judgement handed down by the Magistrates' Court did not include the articles of law under which Mr Abela had been found guilty. This went against article 382 of the Criminal Code which lays down that: "The court, in delivering judgment against the accused, shall state the facts of which he has been found guilty, shall award punishment and shall quote the article of this code or of any other law creating the offence".