Thursday, August 17, 2006
ADDICTED TO LEGISLATION
By Simon Hart, Countryside Alliance
A pop quiz for you from this week’s news – who said the following:
"What this Government has done to the Criminal Justice Process over the last 5 or 6 years in intolerable. Lots of criminal statutes, lots of criminal laws passed. So much that judges and magistrates are bulging at the seams trying to understand, trying to take on board the myriad of proposals that the Government has placed out. The problem is that courts are stretched to their limits because of knee-jerk laws that have been passed over the last 5 or 6 years. Courts are at their limits, police are at their limits....". Any ideas?
Would you be surprised that this comment was made by John Cooper, Chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS)? He was commenting on the news that over 3,000 new offences have been created under Labour since 1997, (including, incidentally, over 500 from DEFRA). I am minded to agree with him – the situation is intolerable. But his organisation is not exactly helping to ease the burden.
Less surprising is the fact that Mr Cooper’s point of view is in direct contrast to the views of his LACS colleagues, who seem to want to stretch the courts even closer to their limits under the Hunting Act. Calling on the Police to prioritise hunting because they, the League, cannot afford any more private prosecutions, Mike Hobday was this week quoted as saying about the recent Tony Wright trial, "The League only took forward this one private prosecution because we thought that the police had so badly failed in their responsibilities."
Luckily Richard Stowe, Assistant Chief Constable of Devon and Somerset Police, has taken the sensible view that “the priority for us is to protect the people of Devon and Cornwall from violent crime, burglaries and vehicle crime.”
As we approach the new season hunts will of course work with their local Constabularies to maintain the good relations we have built up over many years. We will continue to hunt within the law as we understand it and we will continue to work on the basis that the Hunting Act is flawed, illiberal and must be repealed. We will not be telling the Police how to do their jobs – it is clear that they have enough on their plates.
Simon Hart
A pop quiz for you from this week’s news – who said the following:
"What this Government has done to the Criminal Justice Process over the last 5 or 6 years in intolerable. Lots of criminal statutes, lots of criminal laws passed. So much that judges and magistrates are bulging at the seams trying to understand, trying to take on board the myriad of proposals that the Government has placed out. The problem is that courts are stretched to their limits because of knee-jerk laws that have been passed over the last 5 or 6 years. Courts are at their limits, police are at their limits....". Any ideas?
Would you be surprised that this comment was made by John Cooper, Chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS)? He was commenting on the news that over 3,000 new offences have been created under Labour since 1997, (including, incidentally, over 500 from DEFRA). I am minded to agree with him – the situation is intolerable. But his organisation is not exactly helping to ease the burden.
Less surprising is the fact that Mr Cooper’s point of view is in direct contrast to the views of his LACS colleagues, who seem to want to stretch the courts even closer to their limits under the Hunting Act. Calling on the Police to prioritise hunting because they, the League, cannot afford any more private prosecutions, Mike Hobday was this week quoted as saying about the recent Tony Wright trial, "The League only took forward this one private prosecution because we thought that the police had so badly failed in their responsibilities."
Luckily Richard Stowe, Assistant Chief Constable of Devon and Somerset Police, has taken the sensible view that “the priority for us is to protect the people of Devon and Cornwall from violent crime, burglaries and vehicle crime.”
As we approach the new season hunts will of course work with their local Constabularies to maintain the good relations we have built up over many years. We will continue to hunt within the law as we understand it and we will continue to work on the basis that the Hunting Act is flawed, illiberal and must be repealed. We will not be telling the Police how to do their jobs – it is clear that they have enough on their plates.
Simon Hart
Friday, August 04, 2006
FIRST HUNTING ACT CONVICTION
We may have lost the battle, but not the war. I was staggered to hear the verdict and as they interviewed a bewildered Tony Wright on Sky news wondered who would be next? Will George Adams be the next one charged. I fail to see how anyone can be found guilty on the basis of not shooting a fox...and when the CPS itself declared the evidence to be insufficient. Confused? You bet....
Man found guilty of illegal fox hunting
By Chris Court, PA
Published: 04 August 2006
A huntsman was convicted today of illegally hunting foxes.
Exmoor Foxhounds huntsman Tony Wright, 52, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs by District Judge Paul Palmer after a week-long hearing at Barnstaple Magistrates' Court, in Devon
Wright, of Exmoor Kennels, Simonsbath, pleaded not guilty to the charge of hunting a fox on 29 April last year contrary to the Hunting Act 2004.
The private prosecution by the League Against Cruel Sports was the first in England against a fox or stag hunt under the act.
The judge told Wright: "I understand the difficulty that everyone has with the act coming into force."
He added: "What I saw was not exempt hunting."
Giving the reasons for his finding, the judge said he was of the view that Wright was hunting with two dogs.
Simon Hart, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "No right minded person thinks that Tony Wright should have been branded a criminal.
"If people were confused about the Hunting Act before today they will be a lot more confused now. We believe that he was trying to comply with the law as he understood it and will be supporting his appeal.
"This is a piece of legislation which took seven years and 700 hours of parliamentary time to get onto the statute book yet still it is illogical and unclear.
"Any law which can put a man like Tony Wright through nine months of court action and tell him he is a criminal for doing something he believed was entirely legal clearly isn't working."
The prosecution followed video evidence gathered by the League which was shown to the court.
The Foxhounds claimed they were operating under "exempt hunting" provisions in the act which stipulated each of the two hounds should be kept under sufficiently close control for the fox to be shot as soon as possible after flushing.
The judge said the videos showed the hounds following the line of the fox at speed without immediately being called off.
There was a "substantial period" of chase for each of the two foxes seen on the videos.
Long after the foxes were flushed they were being followed by the hounds, which was hunting in the judge's view.
There was only one marksman, who was not going to be in the position to shoot the animal as soon as possible.
The judge said no reasonable steps were taken to shoot the fox as soon as possible and the dogs were not under close control as required by the hunting exemption.
During the case the League claimed the Foxhounds acted with "wilful disregard" of the Act, and what they did bore all the hallmarks of traditional hunting.
Mr Wright, who believed he had complied with the act told the court that five foxes were flushed that day, one of which was shot, the others got away.
The Countryside Alliance said Wright would launch an appeal against his conviction.
Man found guilty of illegal fox hunting
By Chris Court, PA
Published: 04 August 2006
A huntsman was convicted today of illegally hunting foxes.
Exmoor Foxhounds huntsman Tony Wright, 52, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £250 costs by District Judge Paul Palmer after a week-long hearing at Barnstaple Magistrates' Court, in Devon
Wright, of Exmoor Kennels, Simonsbath, pleaded not guilty to the charge of hunting a fox on 29 April last year contrary to the Hunting Act 2004.
The private prosecution by the League Against Cruel Sports was the first in England against a fox or stag hunt under the act.
The judge told Wright: "I understand the difficulty that everyone has with the act coming into force."
He added: "What I saw was not exempt hunting."
Giving the reasons for his finding, the judge said he was of the view that Wright was hunting with two dogs.
Simon Hart, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "No right minded person thinks that Tony Wright should have been branded a criminal.
"If people were confused about the Hunting Act before today they will be a lot more confused now. We believe that he was trying to comply with the law as he understood it and will be supporting his appeal.
"This is a piece of legislation which took seven years and 700 hours of parliamentary time to get onto the statute book yet still it is illogical and unclear.
"Any law which can put a man like Tony Wright through nine months of court action and tell him he is a criminal for doing something he believed was entirely legal clearly isn't working."
The prosecution followed video evidence gathered by the League which was shown to the court.
The Foxhounds claimed they were operating under "exempt hunting" provisions in the act which stipulated each of the two hounds should be kept under sufficiently close control for the fox to be shot as soon as possible after flushing.
The judge said the videos showed the hounds following the line of the fox at speed without immediately being called off.
There was a "substantial period" of chase for each of the two foxes seen on the videos.
Long after the foxes were flushed they were being followed by the hounds, which was hunting in the judge's view.
There was only one marksman, who was not going to be in the position to shoot the animal as soon as possible.
The judge said no reasonable steps were taken to shoot the fox as soon as possible and the dogs were not under close control as required by the hunting exemption.
During the case the League claimed the Foxhounds acted with "wilful disregard" of the Act, and what they did bore all the hallmarks of traditional hunting.
Mr Wright, who believed he had complied with the act told the court that five foxes were flushed that day, one of which was shot, the others got away.
The Countryside Alliance said Wright would launch an appeal against his conviction.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
LABOUR MANIFESTO
ID cards 'in Labour's manifesto'
Prime Minister Tony Blair has insisted that identity cards will form a "major plank" of the Labour Party manifesto at the next General Election.
Mr Blair's pledge, which comes despite the fact he will step down before then, was made in his monthly news briefing.
He was responding to recent delays in the identity card scheme.
He said there might be delays but ID cards were needed to tackle immigration and people should not "be in any doubt" that the scheme "goes forward".
Leaked e-mails last month disclosed that civil servants had serious doubts about whether the scheme could be delivered and it then emerged there had been delays in putting some contracts out to tender.
The government subsequently admitted that the ID card scheme may have to be delayed from its original 2008 launch date.
He told reporters it also made sense to launch the identity card scheme as biometric passports and visas were being introduced.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats oppose the scheme.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
HOPPING MAD
More fantastic use of police time...
Children in trouble for hopscotch
A group of youngsters have fallen foul of the law for playing hopscotch.
West Midlands Police community support officers asked parents in Spring Street in Halesowen to remove chalk markings after complaints about them.
Several children were involved in the games resulting in several markings on the pavement.
Police said they were also investigating complaints of anti-social behaviour. But mother Lisa Mangan said their action was "extreme".
"With what is going on in the world it is pretty extreme for a few chalk markings on the pavement which will be washed away."
Her daughter Kayleigh added: "I think its stupid and they shouldn't be wasting their time up here having a go at kids about chalk when they are other things going on the world."
In a statement, West Midlands Police said the officer visited the street following complaints not only about large areas of the pavement being left chalked but also after numerous complaints about anti-social behaviour in the area.
They said the feedback from residents has been good and in dealing with what the force called "low-level crime", they can prevent more serious problems developing.
The children washed some of the markings away but said they were determined to carry on playing.
Children in trouble for hopscotch
A group of youngsters have fallen foul of the law for playing hopscotch.
West Midlands Police community support officers asked parents in Spring Street in Halesowen to remove chalk markings after complaints about them.
Several children were involved in the games resulting in several markings on the pavement.
Police said they were also investigating complaints of anti-social behaviour. But mother Lisa Mangan said their action was "extreme".
"With what is going on in the world it is pretty extreme for a few chalk markings on the pavement which will be washed away."
Her daughter Kayleigh added: "I think its stupid and they shouldn't be wasting their time up here having a go at kids about chalk when they are other things going on the world."
In a statement, West Midlands Police said the officer visited the street following complaints not only about large areas of the pavement being left chalked but also after numerous complaints about anti-social behaviour in the area.
They said the feedback from residents has been good and in dealing with what the force called "low-level crime", they can prevent more serious problems developing.
The children washed some of the markings away but said they were determined to carry on playing.
