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Hunting Bill


Hunting Bill
Part 2 — Registration

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Application for registration

 15    Application by individual

     (1)    An individual may apply to the registrar to be entered in the register in respect

of hunting which he proposes to carry out.

     (2)    An applicant must be at least 16 years of age.

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     (3)    Where an applicant is younger than 18 years of age, his application must be

countersigned by a parent or guardian.

     (4)    An application must—

           (a)           be in the prescribed form,

           (b)           contain the prescribed information,

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           (c)           be accompanied by the prescribed documents (if any), and

           (d)           be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

     (5)    An application must specify—

           (a)           the species of wild mammal which it is proposed to hunt, and

           (b)           the area in which it is proposed to hunt.

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     (6)    An application may specify a condition to be included in the register as a

condition of the proposed hunting.

     (7)    In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the

Secretary of State.

 16    Application on behalf of group

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     (1)    One or more individuals may apply to the registrar to be entered in the register

in respect of hunting to be carried out jointly by—

           (a)           the individual registered or one or more of the individuals registered,

and

           (b)           one or more individuals under the supervision of the individual

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registered or of one or more of the individuals registered.

     (2)    Each of the applicants must be at least 16 years of age.

     (3)    An application must—

           (a)           be in the prescribed form,

           (b)           contain the prescribed information,

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           (c)           be accompanied by the prescribed documents (if any), and

           (d)           be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

     (4)    An application must specify—

           (a)           the species of wild mammal which it is proposed to hunt, and

           (b)           the area in which it is proposed to hunt.

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     (5)    An application may specify a condition to be included in the register as a

condition of the proposed hunting.

     (6)    An application must, in particular, include conditions specifying—

           (a)           a maximum number of individuals who may hunt at any time,

           (b)           arrangements to ensure compliance with the condition about records

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imposed by section 30(5), and

 

 

Hunting Bill
Part 2 — Registration

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           (c)           arrangements for supervision by the individual or individuals to be

registered of non-registered individuals participating in the proposed

hunting.

     (7)    An application may request that one or more of the registered individuals

should be registered in respect of hunting to be carried out without the

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participation of a non-registered individual (as well as in respect of the joint

hunting mentioned in subsection (1)).

     (8)    Section 2(1) shall have effect as if the reference to individual registration

included a reference to registration by virtue of subsection (7) above (but

section 2(3) shall not apply).

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     (9)    In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the

Secretary of State.

 17    Handling

     (1)    The Secretary of State may make regulations about the treatment of an

application under section 15 or 16.

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     (2)    The regulations may, in particular—

           (a)           enable the registrar to request, before determining an application, the

provision of information or additional information by the applicant or

applicants or by a prescribed animal welfare body;

           (b)           make provision about timing;

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           (c)           enable or require the registrar to permit the amendment of an

application, by the applicant or applicants, before its determination.

 18    Renewal of application

     (1)    Where an individual application is refused, the applicant may not make a new

individual application during the period of twelve months beginning with the

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date on which the first application is finally determined.

     (2)    Where an individual registration is cancelled the individual may not make a

new individual application during the period of twelve months beginning

with the date of cancellation.

     (3)    Where a group application is refused, none of the applicants may be party to a

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new group application during the period of twelve months beginning with the

date on which the first application is finally determined.

     (4)    Where a group registration is cancelled none of the group may be party to a

new group application during the period of twelve months beginning with the

date of cancellation.

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     (5)    Where an individual is removed from a group registration or an application to

add him to a group registration is refused he may not be party to a new group

application during the period of twelve months beginning with the date on

which the removal is effected or the first application is finally determined.

     (6)    But—

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           (a)           a refusal, cancellation or removal, other than one under section 19(3)(b),

21(3)(b), 34(6) or 35(1), does not prevent a new application which—

                  (i)                 relates only to species to which the old application or

registration did not relate, or

 

 

Hunting Bill
Part 2 — Registration

    7

 

                  (ii)                relates only to an area to which the old application or

registration did not relate, and

           (b)           the registrar may permit an application despite any of subsections (1)

to (5) by reason of a material change of circumstances.

     (7)    In this section—

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                    “group application” means an application under section 16, and

                    “individual application” means an application under section 15.

Determination

 19    Determination by registrar

     (1)    This section applies to an application for registration under section 15 or 16.

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     (2)    On receipt of an application the registrar shall—

           (a)           invite the prescribed animal welfare bodies to make written

representations about the application within a specified period, and

           (b)           consider any written representations made by any of those bodies

within that period.

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     (3)    If the registrar is satisfied that the hunting proposed in an application would

satisfy the tests specified in section 10 he shall—

           (a)           grant the application, or

           (b)           refuse the application if he thinks that the applicant, or any of the

applicants, is not a fit and proper person to be registered by reason of a

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matter specified in subsection (4).

     (4)    Those matters are—

           (a)           conviction for an offence under this Act,

           (b)           conviction for an offence under the Protection of Animals Act 1911

(c. 27),

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           (c)                         conviction for an offence under the Protection of Animals (Scotland)

Act 1912 (c. 14),

           (d)                         conviction for an offence under section 2 of the Protection of Badgers

Act 1992 (c. 51),

           (e)           conviction for an offence under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act

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1996 (c. 3),

           (f)                         conviction for an offence under the Protection of Wild Mammals

(Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 6) ,

           (g)           matters relating to the cancellation of the registration of the applicant

or any of the applicants or his or their removal from a group

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registration, and

           (h)           matters relating to the cancellation of the registration of an individual

who would be likely to hunt in reliance on the registration or his

removal from a group registration.

     (5)    If the registrar is satisfied that the hunting proposed in an application would

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satisfy the tests specified in section 10 if carried out in accordance with

conditions other than those specified in the application, he may—

           (a)           grant the application, and

           (b)           add to or vary the conditions specified in the application.

 

 

Hunting Bill
Part 2 — Registration

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     (6)    Where the registrar determines not to grant an application under subsection (3)

or (5) he shall refuse it.

     (7)    In considering an application the registrar shall assume, unless he has reason

not to, that the hunting proposed would be carried out in accordance with—

           (a)           the conditions specified in section 29 or 30, and

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           (b)           any condition specified in the application.

 20    Appeal to Tribunal

     (1)    Where the registrar refuses an application under section 15 or 16, or grants it in

reliance on section 19(5), the applicant or applicants may appeal to the

Tribunal.

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     (2)    Where the registrar grants an application under section 15 or 16 a prescribed

animal welfare body may appeal to the Tribunal.

 21    Determination by Tribunal

     (1)    This section applies where an appeal is brought to the Tribunal under section

20 against the registrar’s decision on an application.

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     (2)    The Tribunal shall give the applicant or applicants and the prescribed animal

welfare bodies an opportunity to make representations.

     (3)    If satisfied that the hunting proposed in the application would satisfy the tests

specified in section 10 the Tribunal shall—

           (a)           grant the application, or

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           (b)           refuse the application if the Tribunal thinks that the applicant, or any of

the applicants, is not a fit and proper person to be registered by reason

of a matter specified in section 19(4).

     (4)    If satisfied that the hunting proposed in the application would satisfy the tests

specified in section 10 if carried out in accordance with conditions other than

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those specified in the application, the Tribunal may—

           (a)           grant the application, and

           (b)           add to or vary the conditions specified in the application.

     (5)    Where the Tribunal determines not to grant the application under subsection

(3) or (4) it shall refuse the application.

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     (6)    In considering an appeal under section 20 the Tribunal shall assume, unless it

has reason not to, that the hunting proposed in an application would be carried

out in accordance with—

           (a)           the conditions specified in section 29 or 30, and

           (b)           any condition specified in the application.

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     (7)    On determining an appeal the Tribunal may—

           (a)           give a direction to the registrar;

           (b)           make any order that it thinks appropriate.

 22    Appeal from Tribunal

     (1)    A person who is party to proceedings before the Tribunal under section 20 may

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appeal on a point of law to the High Court.

 

 

Hunting Bill
Part 2 — Registration

    9

 

     (2)    An appeal under subsection (1) may be brought only with the permission of—

           (a)           the Tribunal, or

           (b)           if the Tribunal refuses permission, the High Court.

The register

 23    Form of the register

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The Secretary of State may make regulations about—

           (a)           the form of the register;

           (b)           the manner in which it is maintained.

 24    Content of the register

In the case of each registration the register shall record—

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           (a)           the species of wild mammal in respect of the hunting of which the

registration has effect,

           (b)           the area in respect of hunting in which the registration has effect,

           (c)           any other information provided in or with the application for

registration,

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           (d)           any conditions of the registration (apart from those specified in section

29 or 30), and

           (e)           such other matters as may be prescribed by regulations made by the

Secretary of State.

 25    Inspection of the register

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     (1)    The registrar—

           (a)           shall make the register available for inspection by the public at all

reasonable times, and

           (b)           shall provide a copy of an entry in the register to any person who

requests it.

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     (2)    But the Secretary of State may by regulations—

           (a)           provide that information of a specified kind shall not be made available

for inspection under subsection (1)(a) and shall be omitted from copies

provided under subsection (1)(b);

           (b)           require the payment of a specified fee as a precondition of the provision

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of a copy under subsection (1)(b).

     (3)    Regulations under subsection (2)(a) may make provision by reference to a

request of a registered individual.

 26    Standard duration of registration

Registration under this Part shall have effect for—

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           (a)           the period of three years starting with the date on which it is effected, or

           (b)           such shorter period starting with that date as may be specified—

                  (i)                 by the registrar or Tribunal on granting the application for

registration, or

                  (ii)                where no period is specified under sub-paragraph (i), in the

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application for registration.

 

 

 
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Revised 3 March 2003