We already have law preventing cruelty
Once again Giles Bradshaw has written to the Echo saying: "I would favour replacing the Hunting Act with one that makes all deliberate cruelty to wild animals, however caused, illegal," We need to reassess this unworkable Act, Points of view, June 20.
Mr Bradshaw appears to be unaware that we already have legislation to protect wild animals from cruel acts causing unnecessary suffering, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.
Another piece of legislation, the Animal Welfare Act 2006, provides protection to domestic animals.
There is, therefore, no need to replace the Hunting Act.
If it is unenforceable, as Mr Bradshaw believes, the obvious remedy is to strengthen the Act to facilitate prosecution and to make punishments more severe. The maximum penalty, upon summary conviction, is a fine not exceeding £5,000. I feel that this inadequate penalty should be brought into line with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 — a fine not exceeding £20,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks, or to both.
The Hunting Act bans hunting wild mammals with dogs for sport. In my view packs of hunting hounds should, therefore, no longer be allowed on highways and any huntsmen causing or permitting dogs to be on a public road should be guilty of an offence.
I trust this matter has now been resolved to the entire satisfaction of Mr Bradshaw and there is no need for further correspondence.
John Phelps
Argyll Road, Exeter
(by email)
Comments
by Giles Bradshaw, Rose Ash
Monday, June 29 2009, 8:43AM
“As John Phelps will be well aware Hunting and shooting are excluded from , the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.
Attempts to get these activities included under the law were deliberately obstructed by anti hunt MPs.
If the Hunting Act were genuinely meant to be against cruelty then of course cruelty would be a condition of the offence. It isn't. It makes no difference whether you are being cruel or not to whether there is an offence.
If the law were genuinely meant to be against hunting animals for sport then it would be a condition of the law that animals were being hunted for sport for an offence to be committed. It isn't.
The law is widely held to be badly drafted. Even the judges have condemned it's wording as 'unusual'.
The prospect of prision sentences for this weird Kafkaesque law is absurd.
However even if I faced prision for breaking it I would carry on doing so out of priciple.”