The court heard an appeal from conviction of an offence under section 3.
Held: The court referred to Bezzina.
Popplewell J dissented from the approach in Bezzina, saying: ‘It seems to me that in order to impose some logic in this case the proper way to approach these cases is to take the view that if there is a bite without a reasonable apprehension immediately before that, the use of the word ‘any occasion’ is sufficient to impose a liability because there are grounds thereafter for reasonable apprehension that it will injury some other person.’
Auld LJ commented: ‘Depending on the circumstances, the time for apprehension, even by the notional reasonable bystander, may be so minimal as for practical purposes to be non-existent. The notion of reasonable apprehension of injury before it occurs in such circumstances, is artificial and the court should strain against adding that unhappy element to an already difficult statutory formulation. It seems to me that Kennedy LJ in that passage was unnecessarily focusing on the injury as if it were a necessary culmination and demonstration of anterior reasonable apprehension of injury. In my view there is no need for such an approach. The act of a dog causing injury, a bite or otherwise, is itself capable of being conduct giving grounds for reasonable apprehension of injury.’
Judges:
Auld LJ and Popplewell J
Citations:
[1997] JP 161
Statutes:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Regina v Bezzina, Regina v Codling, Regina v Elvin CACD 7-Dec-1993
The offence under section 3(1), requiring the owner to keep a dangerous dog under control, is one of strict liability. The court noted the difference in wording between the sections.
Kennedy LJ said: ‘Accordingly, we come to the conclusion . .
Cited by:
Cited – Gedminintaite, Regina v CACD 15-Feb-2008
Application for leave to appeal against a ruling given by His Honour Judge Gibson as to how he would address the jury in a case of an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Rottweiler with no history of aggression attacking passer by.
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Crime, Animals
Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.652234
