By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
SPRINGVALE refugee Vu Ho will take his expensive legal battle to
keep his 16-year-old sheep Baa at his home to the High Court — the
highest court in Australia.
Mr Ho faces a $200,000-plus legal bill after his case against
Greater Dandenong council was unanimously rejected by three judges in
the state Court of Appeal last month. That bill is likely to escalate if
his High Court bid also fails.
Representing himself in the Court of Appeal, Mr Ho had argued the
council had no right to control domestic animals, including his sheep,
after it fined him $225 and ordered Baa’s removal.
Under the council’s local laws, livestock cannot be kept on less than half a hectare.
Although he has no legal training and lacks confidence speaking in
English, the self-taught mechanic intends to represent himself in the
High Court.
He said he would tweak his 116-page submission that was praised
by Appeal Court president Justice Chris Maxwell in last month’s hearing.
Mr Ho said he was appealing because he didn’t believe most of his arguments were addressed by the Court of Appeal finding.
Greater Dandenong mayor Angela Long said the local laws were
“nothing out of the ordinary” and had to be applied uniformly to be
effective.
“The law is in place to ensure livestock, such as sheep, goats and
cattle, have sufficient space to graze, breed and live in an
environment that is appropriate and natural for their species,” she
said.
An RSPCA spokesman said there were no concerns for Baa’s welfare.
