Natural England shouldn’t be above the law
A High Court ruling has found that conditions imposed by Natural England (NE) on game shoots were ‘irrational’ and ‘misinterpreting the scope of their powers’. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) brought the case, arguing that approach had created significant uncertainty for shoots – even forcing some to close. Handing down judgment at the Royal Courts of Justice, the Court found NE had acted unlawfully by adopting an interpretation of ‘release’ that exceeded the meaning of the legislation enacted by Parliament. The Court ruled that NE cannot impose conditions preventing the keeping of gamebirds on site prior to release.
