article_snippet.sent: Representing herself, Mrs Smouha - who told the First-Tier Tribunal at the Royal Courts of Justice that herself had been told by Hikiji that import formalities would be 'taken care of'.
article_snippet.sent: The skin had not been smuggled into the UK in defiance of CITES and Mrs Smouha's had 'reasonably relied' upon Hikiji, whose duty it was to obtain an import permit.
article_snippet.sent: Judge Redston added: 'Mrs Smouha's did not ignore CITES.
article_snippet.sent: Mrs Smouha's communicated with Hikiji and understood that CITES had been complied with. '
article_snippet.sent: This was Mrs Smouha's first experience of CITES. '
article_snippet.sent: Mrs Smouha's could to rectify the position after Mrs Smouha's realised the mistake. '
article_snippet.sent: Mrs Smouha's acted honestly and in good faith throughout'.