In a novel legal maneuver, a group of English fox hunters, led by activist Ed Swales, is preparing to challenge the long-standing ban on fox hunting by seeking to have their pro-hunting stance recognized as a protected belief under the Equality Act. This move comes in response to the 2005 legislation that outlawed the traditional use of dogs to hunt foxes.
Source: The Mirror/YouTube
Fox hunting, a deeply ingrained tradition dating back centuries, was banned following significant public and parliamentary opposition over animal welfare concerns. Despite the ban, hunting remains a polarizing issue, with 80% of the British public in favor of keeping the activity illegal, as per a YouGov survey.
Swales, the founder of Hunting Kind, argues that the principles underpinning the Equality Act—which guards against discrimination based on characteristics like race, religion, and sexuality—should also apply to those who Support hunting. His goal is to initiate a series of anti-discrimination lawsuits to set a legal precedent that could potentially overturn the fox-hunting ban.
The debate intensifies as the Labour government, newly elected, has committed to banning trail hunting, where dogs follow a scent trail rather than a live fox. This practice, while legal, has been criticized by Animal rights advocates as a loophole that often results in the death of foxes, due to the difficulty hounds have in distinguishing between a synthetic scent and real fox trails.
The British Hound Sports Association maintains that trail hunting allows enthusiasts to engage in an adapted form of the sport despite the ban. However, incidents of illegal hunts are reportedly still common, and the public and legal tide appears increasingly set against the hunting community.
Legal experts and Animal rights scholars are skeptical of Swales’s approach, noting that under the 2010 Equality Act, a protected belief must constitute a genuine, significant belief system and not merely an opinion. Furthermore, this belief must not infringe upon the fundamental rights of others, setting a high bar for Swales’s campaign.
The upcoming legal battles promise to stir significant controversy, as they touch on deep-seated issues of cultural heritage, Animal rights, and the interpretation of equality laws in the UK.
This article by Nicholas Vincent was first published by One Green Planet on 29 August 2024. Image Credit :Vaclav Matous/Shutterstock.
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