Schedule 3 - Hunting with dogs: prohibition
Hunting Bill
10:15 am
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 44, in page 19, line 32, leave out paragraph 3.
Paragraph 3 says:
``A person commits an offence if he knowingly permits a dog which belongs to him (within the meaning of paragraph 23) to be used in the course of the commission of an offence under paragraph 1.''
Paragraph 1 says:
``A person commits an offence if he hunts a wild mammal with a dog.''
On the first main day of proceedings in Committee, we discussed the necessity, or otherwise, of an express provision relating to the criminal intent of the offender under paragraph 1. The Minister told us that it was unnecessary to have a reference to criminal intent in that paragraph. However, paragraph 3 contains an express reference to knowledge. The offence is badly defined and such an approach is flawed.