Is this a law or a joke?

[AlanE]

I am referring, of course, to the Hunting Act 2004.

Personally, I'm disappointed that the Alliance hasn't persued one aspect of the judgement which found Tony Wright guilty.

The point of the law was that it WOULD allow exempt hunting. According to the judge, this is NOT the case, since he made the observation that he didn't think 'exempt' hunting was possible (with two hounds) anywhere on Exmoor.

This means that the law is bad law and must be repealed,surely?

What do others think about this, antis particularly, and will they join us in putting pressure on the government which has been shown by its own legal system to have failed?

 

[LACS]

I'm so sorry, I only looked at this thread because I thought its title was "Is Alan a joke?"... I'll leave you to it.

 

[AlanE]

Ha-ha,LACS: lost for words again? So IS it an appropriate and workable law or not? You really must face reality sooner or later.

 

[LACS]

You've implied on a number of occasions in the past few days that a lady magistrate deliberately put her 14-year-old terrier in front of her house in the hope that the local stag hounds would kill it. Do you thik you're qualified to lecture about "facing reality"?

 

[AlanE]

LACS, so you STILL evade the question! Unbelievable!

And I ASKED questions about the lady magistrate, simply suggested from the evidence, I think.

 

[LACS]

It was a implication which is probably actionable.

 

[AlanE]

OK LACS. I'm all agog; so NOW you are going to answer the question?

 

[LACS]

My reply is that you've misinterpreted both the Act, and how others have interpreted it.

 

[Hercules]

LACS,

What is your interpretation of the Act?

Cheers.

 

[LACS]

I think the Act prohibits hunting with dogs, with a number of exemptions.

 

[Hercules]

So, according to the Act, using 4 dogs to flush a non exempt quarry species and then not shhooting it is prohibited.

It is therefore breaking the law. Why no prosecutions?

 

[LACS]

It's either not hunting with dogs, or the police/CPS have decided not to pursue the matter. This really is basic stuff.

I'm going out now, love!

 

[Ereiam_jh]

I don't know if this helps but here's what the Government say:

"Is hunting different from chasing away?

The Act deliberately does not define hunting with dogs because the term should be understood in its ordinary English meaning, which includes using dogs to search for wild mammals, chase them, or pursue them with the intention of catching or killing them. The deliberate use of dogs to chase a wild mammal, even if there is no intention of catching it, is hunting and as such is prohibited by the Act. This may include the wilful failure to prevent dogs from chasing wild mammals. "