IN the MATTER of the Rules of the Supreme Court Order 64 Rule 1B and 1BB & in the MATTER of the Racing and Betting Act 1980 & in the MATTER of Queensland Principal Club

The applicants, who were participants in the Kooralbyn Picnic Race Day, sought declarations that their disqualification by the Queensland Principal Club (QPC) was unlawful and invalid. The applicants argued that the meeting was legal under the Racing and Betting Act 1980 and that QPC did not have jurisdiction to disqualify them. The court considered the relevant provisions of the Act and the Rules of Racing to determine if QPC had the authority to disqualify the applicants. The court found that the Act and Rules of Racing could be read together without inconsistency and that QPC had the jurisdiction to disqualify the applicants for participating in an unregistered race meeting. The applicants' argument that they were outside the disciplinary jurisdiction of QPC was also rejected, as they were participating in a race meeting which was not authorised pursuant to the Rules of Racing. The court held that QPC had the jurisdiction to deal with the applicants and that their disqualification was lawful. The application was dismissed with costs.