Pro-hunters take hunting ban to court (UK)

The Telegraph ^ | 25/01/2005 | NA

[neverdem]

Pro-hunters take hunting ban to court
(Filed: 25/01/2005)

The Countryside Alliance has launched a legal battle in the High Court against Government legislation to introduce a hunting ban with comes into operation next month.

	The Government wants to ban hunting with hounds

The pro-hunting lobby says the Government illegally pushed the Hunting Bill through using the Parliament Act, 1949.

It is seeking a judicial review, and failing that an injunction.

The anti-hunting lobby is fighting such a move.

Arriving at court for the beginning of the two-day hearing was John Jackson, the organisation's chairman. He said: "This is probably the most important constitutional case the High Court has ever had to consider."

He added: "This case has a great deal to do with the constitution of our country and the way in which it works and a great deal to do with understanding what the rule of law means.

"We are asking the High Court to rule that the 1949 Act which was used last year to force through the hunting act is itself invalid."

Mr Jackson said the Countryside Alliance believed that the House of Commons acted unlawfully in forcing through the Parliament Act in 1949, without the consent of the House of Lords.

Mr Jackson stressed that he was not challenging the supremacy of Parliament.

"But Parliament is the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Sovereign acting together and they are the legitimate authority for making the law," he said.

"Parliament must abide by and respect the law, which it does not."

Mike Hobday of the League Against Cruel Sports told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Clearly, they want to carry on their cruel sports in the countryside for as long as they possibly can.

"Our advice is that the Parliament Act of 1949 is good law and the House of Commons has every right to pass its wishes into law when the House of Lords continually refuses to accept their view."

Whichever side loses today can be expected to pursue appeals which could drag on for years, said Mr Hobday.

"That is why it is very important that the courts today refuse an injunction and refuse the idea of delaying the commencement of the Hunting Act."

[ZULU]

Let's hope reason triumphs over Britain's PETA clones.

But knowing the mentality of a COuntry which drove some of the finest arms manufacturers in the world into into extinction, I wouldn't bet on it.