Challenge to simplify wildlife law

Wildlife protection laws in the UK are too complicated and are being inconsistently applied in the courts, according to a report by Parliament?s cross-party environmental watchdog.

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) says the body of legislation relating to wildlife crime should be consolidated ?in order to enhance enforcement and establish a coherent framework for the execution of Government policy?. EAC chair Joan Walley said that complex wildlife law was causing prosecutions to fail, with specialist enforcement professionals struggling to implement it effectively.

?Police officers dealing with wildlife crime are having to wrestle with legal arrangements that are almost Pythonesque in their absurdity,? she said.

The rest of this article appears in the 24th October issue of Shooting Times.

What is YOUR opinion?

Join other ST readers in our forums to discuss your views.

Like this article? Mark this page on a social bookmarking website…