Campaigners to contest hunt-ban injunction

Friday, 7 January 2005 12:00 AM

The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) is preparing to contest any legal attempt by the Countryside Alliance to delay the introduction of the ban against hunting.

The Countryside Alliance has launched a series of legal challenges to the ban, due to come into force in February 2005.

In addition, it is seeking an injunction to delay the implementation of the ban until after all the legal arguments have been heard - a process that could take months or even years.

To the outrage of anti-hunt campaigners and many MPs, the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith indicated before Christmas that the Government would not seek to oppose an injunction delaying the ban.

But on Wednesday night, the chief executive of LACS said it would oppose any delay to implementation.

Douglas Batchelor, said: "Since the Government has refused to defend its own legislation by opposing an injunction that would see the implementation of the Hunting Act delayed, this was our only choice. The League Against Cruel Sports is supported by the clear majority of the public who want to see the cruel sports of hunting with dogs and hare coursing banned."

He added that the Countryside Alliance's attempts to seek an injunction set "a dangerous precedent, which could see all legislation forced to pass through lengthy legal challenges before it can be implemented. We are seeking to be represented at the hearings, not only to fight cruelty, but also to defend Parliamentary democracy."

The Government justified its position by arguing that MPs voted for an 18-month delay in implementation anyway, but this delay was lost in the bill passing process.

The Countryside Alliance is challenging the hunting ban on two fronts. It is set to argue that the Parliament Act, used to force the ban though against the wishes of the Lords was not valid, and secondly that the ban breaches their human rights.

The case is expected to be heard on January 25th.

Tags: