The government's decision of extend the badger cull to Dorset, and persist with the Somerset and Gloucestershire culls, is 'completely irrational', say badger protection groups - and now they intend to prove it in a High Court legal action, forcing an end to the killing.
… The Ecologist | 30th August 2015 News Law Badgers Mammals UK Hunting … Natural England. "If any licences to cull badgers are either activated … states the Trust. "To continue the culling of badgers is unlawful as it does not rationally …
NFU running police control rooms. Violent 'bounty-hunting' badger shooters in the woods at dead of night, none too bothered about the finer points of law. Confused, ill-informed police bearing prejudice against 'protestors' ... It's all a recipe for a big mess, writes Lesley Docksey.
… Lesley Docksey | 5th June 2014 Comment UK Badgers Law Natural World badger-200-cut.jpg … Act) or under Section 11 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1972. Although there is a specific …
The Government must release key documents about its secret development of England's badger cull with the National Farmers Union. The Upper Tribunal ruled that the public interest would be served by a full disclosure.
… The Ecologist | 1st August 2014 News Badgers Law Farming Politics UK badgers-tim-brookes-cut.jpg The Government … challenge to show that it is cattle, not badgers, that are at the root of the spread of …
In its report on last year's pilot badger culls, the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) judged that the culls failed the criteria for effectiveness and humaneness, but satisfied those for safety, writes Lesley Docksey. The facts say otherwise.
… Docksey | 7th May 2014 Comment Natural World Badgers UK Law badger-roadkill.jpg In its … a more accurate picture of the number of badgers through 'hair trapping'. (The hair was … cross-matched with tissue samples from culled badgers, with poor results.) The populations …
The Court of Appeal last month ruled that England's Badger cull is lawful despite the lack of independent supervision. But on the eve of a fresh Parliamentary debate, and with public opinion backing the badgers all the way, the Badger Trust is the clear winner where it really matters - in public hearts and minds.
… The Ecologist | 3rd November 2014 News Badgers Farming Natural World Politics Law badgers-tim-brookes-cut.jpg The Court of … debate, and with public opinion backing the badgers all the way, the Badger Trust is the …
The Badger Trust will challenge the trial badger culls in the High Court next month, claiming that Environment Secretary Liz Truss and Natural England are acting unlawfully in failing to appoint an expert panel to oversee the experiment.
… challenge The Ecologist | 21st July 2014 News Badgers Health Farming Law Politics Natural … Expert Panel for the planned culling of badgers in Gloucestershire and Somerset in … "Our position remains that the culling of badgers will not have a significant impact on …
The Badger Trust has been granted leave for a Judicial Review of Environment Secretary Owen Paterson and Natural England over their 'irrational' decision to conduct the 2013 badger cull with no independent expert scrutiny.
… Ecologist | 2nd July 2014 News Natural World Badgers UK Law Farming … review process of the planned culling of badgers in Gloucestershire and Somerset in … through our countryside at night shooting badgers with rifles and shotguns" without any …
New revelations show that the rifle-wielding badger cullers were often acting criminally, writes Lesley Docksey - pursuing badgers with loaded weapons on both private and public land outside licenced areas, with impunity, while the IEP was apparently kept in the dark. Strict controls are essential - or just an end to the cull.
… cull Lesley Docksey | 14th August 2014 News Badgers UK Law Natural World Politics … criminally, writes Lesley Docksey - pursuing badgers with loaded weapons on both private … only there to monitor the actual killing of badgers. Anything else was outside his remit. …
A High Court judgment on the lawfulness of the 2014 badger cull is awaited. A criminal investigation is under way on the dangerous and illegal behaviour of culling contractors. Obviously, writes Lesley Docksey, it's the perfect time for Natural England to authorise another round of culling.
… | 27th August 2014 Comment Natural World Badgers Law UK badger-200-cut.jpg The bloodied …
Days after our exposé of a policing disaster at England's 2013 badger culls, the Police Commissioner for Gloucestershire is to question the county's most senior police officers. The event will be video-streamed online.
… | 9th May 2014 News Law Natural World Badgers UK Farming badger-daisies.png Days … roadkill in cullers' bags; the killing of badgers from outside the cull area, to be …
Last week the Upper Tribunal of the Royal Courts of Justice ordered Defra to release key information about the badger cull based on a 'public interest' argument, writes Lesley Docksey. Could this judgment open a new era of transparent and accountable government?
… | 8th August 2014 News Law UK Natural World Badgers redaction-cut.jpg Last week the Upper …
Avon & Somerset police say that National Farmers Union and cull company representatives will be excluded from the control room in the 2014 cull. Their presence in control rooms in the 2013 cull caused a major loss of public confidence in the policing operation.
… rooms The Ecologist | 18th August 2014 News Badgers Law UK badger-family-cut.jpg Avon & … marksmen have been reported as pursuing badgers with loaded rifles outside areas … ignorance of the terms of the licence to kill badgers granted by Natural England. However an …
Since December 2011, when it became clear that the government was intent on its badger cull, Defra and Natural England have been flooded with FOI requests about how the culls would be set up, conducted and monitored. The notable success of Anna Dale in cutting through official obfuscation has implications for everyone trying to protect the environment and wildlife.
… Lesley Docksey | 1st April 2016 Activism Law Badgers UK FOI Protest Natural World … Public interest can also be cited. As culling badgers would not affect international … interest. Thus they argued that culling badgers was 'protecting the environment'. The …
Senior Gloucestershire police were questioned this week about the policing of the 2013 pilot cull, writes Lesley Docksey. But the Police Commissioner never asked about the most serious problems - police bias and ignorance of the law, and culler criminality.
… Lesley Docksey | 14th May 2014 Comment Badgers UK Natural World Law …
Lacking an official body to investigate and prosecute illegal cruelty to wildlife a unique charity, the RSPCA, took on that role almost 200 years ago, writes Lesley Docksey. But now it has ruffled high-ranking feathers by pursuing cases of illegal fox-hunting, and has been forced to leave prosecutions of such cases to the Crown Prosecution Service. But will the CPS do its job?
… 'traditions' of killing foxes, baiting badgers, snaring hares and the like. …
Last week David Cameron backed down over his plans to bring back fox hunting by 'fatally amending' the Hunting Act, writes Dominic Dyer. The way he spun it, it was all about SNP interference in English law, but the real problem was opposition within the Conservative Party, which increasingly sees blood sports as a barbaric relic that alienates voters of all persuasions.
Fox hunting is political poison for David Cameron and the Tory Party Dominic Dyer | 20th July 2015 News UK Hunting Natural World Politics Law UK Last week David Cameron backed down over his plans to …
Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Council is the latest landowner to permanently ban fox hunting.
Cheshire fox hunts ban Ruby Harbour | 9th December 2021 | News Fox Hunting Trail Hunting smiling_fox.jpg Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Council is the latest landowner to permanently ban …
Eyewitness reports reveal the shocking scale of fox hunting in Britain.
'Shocking' fox hunting figures Staff Reporter | 14th April 2020 Comment League Against Cruel Sports Fox Hunting Foxes Hounds red-fox-4502730_1280.jpg Eyewitness reports reveal the shocking scale of …