A High Court fight by TT-Line to have the court reassess charges relating to 16 polo horses that died while travelling on the Spirit of Tasmania has failed.
The High Court ruled today that special leave was refused and TT-Line was ordered to pay costs.
In 2020 TT-Line also failed to convince the Supreme Court of Tasmania to review the charges, with Chief Justice Alan Blow ruling that the arguments to review the charges was "devoid of merit".
TT-Line must now face 29 charges that relate to the air flow, animal checks and management of the horses whilst on board the ship in the Tasmanian Magistrates Court.
"The hearing before the learned magistrate has been delayed by months as a result of unmeritorious arguments and a motion for the review of rulings that were plainly correct," Justice Blow said in 2020.
"It is in the public interest that the charges in the Magistrates Court be heard and determined with as little further delay as possible."
One count will assess whether TT-Line's conduct in managing the horses on the ship was "reasonably likely to result in unreasonable and unjustifiable pain and suffering to the animals".
The remaining charges relate to alleged failures to keep each of the 16 horses in their individual stalls.
The 16 horses died in 2018 on a Devonport to Melbourne voyage on the Spirit of Tasmania.
The owners of the horses, including former Australian polo coach Andrew Williams, are pursuing TT-Line in the civil courts, claiming $739,000 in damages.
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