Court throws out beef-on-bone prosecution

22 April 1998

Court throws out beef-on-bone prosecution

A SCOTTISH court threw out the United Kingdoms first prosecution under the regulation banning the sale of beef on the bone.

Sheriff James Paterson said the regulation under which the prosecution against Berwickshire hotelier James Sutherland had been brought was defective because the word “preparation” was so imprecise “it could mean anything”.

Sutherland, proprietor of the Lodge Hotel, near Lauder, had served beef on the bone to 170 people at a “prohibition dinner” in December.

Dr Jack Cunningham, minister of agriculture, said the courts ruling had no binding effect on any other court and the regulation remained in force.

The National Farmers Union of Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders called for an end to the ban.

The procurator-fiscal, James Napier, was granted leave to appeal against the judgement. The appeal is expected to go before a sitting of the High Court in Edinburgh in the summer.

The ruling came on the day that Milton Keynes Council announced it was planning to prosecute two butchers for selling beef on the bone.

• T-bone ban is unenforceable, rules judge, FWi, yesterday (21 April) &#151- Click here
• Financial Times 22/04/98 page 1
  
• The Guardian 22/04/98 page 1
  
• The Times 22/04/98 page 1, page 2
• The Independent 22/04/98 page 4
  
• The Daily Telegraph 22/04/98 page 1, page 4, page 23 (Editorial Comment)
• The Scotsman 22/04/98 page 1, page 6, page 16 (Opinion)