Wednesday, 31 July, 2002, 10:03 GMT 11:03 UK

Court backs hunting ban

A challenge by the Scottish Countryside Alliance against a new law banning hunting with hounds has been rejected.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh has turned down the attempt to prevent the Protection of Wild Mammals
(Scotland) Act from coming into force on Thursday.

Pro-hunt activists argued that the Act breached their human rights and that an end to foxhunting would hit their
incomes.

However, those arguments were rejected by the judge, Lord Nimmo Smith, to the delight of anti-hunt campaigners.

Les Ward, Chairman of the Scottish Campaign Against Hunting with Dogs (Scahd) said: "We are delighted that the
judge has confirmed that hunting will end on 1 August.

"At long last this barbaric sport will no longer be practised on Scottish soil and foxes, hares and mink will be spared
the unbearable suffering of being chased and killed by a pack of dogs.

"We believe that hunting is cruel and unnecessary and MSPs were fully justified in following their constituents' wish
to ban it.

"The will of the Scottish Parliament was always clear on this issue, and this has been reflected by the judge's
decision today."

'Not surprised'

MSPs voted in February in favour of outlawing hunting with hounds, which effectively stamped out mounted fox
hunts, hare coursing and fox baiting.

Hunt supporters said they were "disappointed but not surprised" by the court's decision to dismiss their legal
challenge to the Act.

However Allan Murray, director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, vowed to fight the decision "in every court of
the land" to protect individual rights over "political dogma".

Mr Murray said confusion still remained over the scope of the Act.

He said: "We're very disappointed but not surprised about the decision but we are determined to fight it all the way.

"This legislation will shatter livelihoods and businesses in rural Scotland, yet the court appears to have merely
rubber-stamped the Act passed by the Scottish Parliament."


 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2162766.stm