HUNTING FOR ANSWERS

The Countryside Alliance Chief Executive examines the Hunting Act's farcical progress:

The Hunting Act was thrown into further confusion today at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on the first day of what was scheduled to be a seven-day trial of the Isle of Wight foxhounds.

Four barristers, two solicitors, four defendants and the District Judge struggled to find a solution to the vexed question of where the burden of evidence of proving “exempt hunting” lies. Eventually, after frantic phonecalls between the court and another District Judge in Bristol, who was scheduled to hear the case against the Devon and Somerset Staghounds next week, no answer was forthcoming and the Isle of Wight trial was adjourned.

It seems that the answer will come not from a Magistrates Court but from the High Court, as both parties in the Devon and Somerset case have agreed to appeal this point of law to a higher court. This will cause a significant delay in all “exempt hunting” cases. The Isle of Wight case has been put back, provisionally, to the beginning of May 2008, and we expect that the Devon and Somerset trial will also be delayed for at least that long.

Meanwhile, we still await the outcome of Exmoor Foxhounds Huntsman Tony Wright’s appeal against his conviction, which may come at the end of next week, and also the ruling of the House of Lords in the Human Rights and European Law case, also due in the near future.

Sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to say “I told you so” and we certainly told Parliament that the Hunting Act was going to cause nothing but chaos and confusion. Whilst it is easy to write this off as simply another chapter in the farce that is the Hunting Act, there are serious points which should not be overlooked: decent people are being dragged through the courts facing criminal charges with no idea where or when the process will be complete. Today alone, over two weeks of court times which were booked for criminal trial will stand empty as a result of this ridiculous law.

Another day, another unanswerable argument in the case for repeal.

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