First Hunter Found Guilty Under New British Law Banning Bloodsports

Tony Wright of the Exmoor Foxhounds is the first hunt supporter to be found guilty of offences under the Hunting Act 2004. The private prosecution was brought by the League Against Cruel Sports and its program Hunt Crimewatch. As The Guardian reports, hunts and police forces will be “forced to rethink” the way they hunt. Although public sentiment is generally opposed to hunting, the Hunting Act is widely viewed with suspicion for a variety of reasons. The Wright prosecution shows that the Act — as LACS states — is a “clearly worded piece of legislation which can be used by the police, Crown Prosecution Service, and the courts, to oversee prosecutions against illegal hunting.” It’s widely viewed that law enforcement and other authorities are reluctant to police and prosecute under the Act. This is why LACS calls on the Government to “increase the priority of wildlife crime.”