Hunting Bill - continued        House of Commons
SCHEDULE 2, HUNTING WITH DOGS: REGULATION - continued

back to previous text
 
  PART IV
  OFFENCES
 
Prohibited hunting
     42. - (1) A person commits an offence if he engages or participates in prohibited hunting.
 
      (2) Hunting a wild mammal with a dog is prohibited hunting if it is not-
 
 
    (a) regulated hunting (within the meaning of paragraph 21), or
 
    (b) unrestricted hunting (within the meaning of paragraphs 55 to 60).
      (3) Participation in a hare coursing event is not prohibited hunting.
 
 
Unlicensed regulated hunting
     43. - (1) A person commits an offence if he engages or participates in regulated hunting which is not licensed.
 
      (2) Regulated hunting is licensed if in the case of each dog employed in the hunting there is a person who-
 
 
    (a) holds a hunting licence, and
 
    (b) is in charge of the dog.
      (3) But regulated hunting is not licensed if a person who is in charge of a dog employed in the hunting holds a hunting licence and-
 
 
    (a) the hunting falls outside the terms of the licence, or
 
    (b) the hunting involves a breach of a condition of the licence.
      (4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b) it is immaterial whether a breach of condition is caused by the action or inaction of-
 
 
    (a) the licence-holder,
 
    (b) the person charged with the offence, or
 
    (c) some other person.
      (5) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this paragraph to prove that he reasonably believed that he was engaging or participating in licensed regulated hunting.
 
 
Hare coursing
     44. - (1) A person commits an offence if he-
 
 
    (a) acts as an official at a hare coursing event which is not licensed, or
 
    (b) knowingly permits land which belongs to him (within the meaning of paragraph 63(e)) to be used for the purposes of a hare coursing event which is not licensed.
      (2) The following persons commit an offence if a dog participates in a hare coursing event which is not licensed-
 
 
    (a) any person who enters the dog for the event,
 
    (b) any person who knowingly permits the dog to be entered, and
 
    (c) any person who controls or handles the dog in the course of or for the purposes of the event.
      (3) A hare coursing event is licensed if a person who organises it holds a coursing licence.
 
      (4) But a hare coursing event is not licensed if a person who organises it holds a coursing licence and-
 
 
    (a) the event falls outside the terms of the licence, or
 
    (b) the event involves a breach of a condition of the licence.
      (5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4)(b) it is immaterial whether a breach of condition is caused by the action or inaction of-
 
 
    (a) the licence-holder,
 
    (b) the person charged with the offence, or
 
    (c) some other person.
      (6) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this paragraph in respect of a hare coursing event to prove that he reasonably believed that the event was licensed.
 
 
False information
     45. A person who makes an application under this Schedule commits an offence if for the purposes of the application he-
 
 
    (a) knowingly makes a false or misleading statement,
 
    (b) makes a statement which he does not believe to be true, or
 
    (c) knowingly fails to disclose a material fact.
 
previous section contents continue
 
House of Commons home page Houses of Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2000
Prepared 8 December 2000