Debate contribution: Hunting with Dogs Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Jonathan Buckley on 26 May 2026.

MLA

Mr Jonathan Buckley

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

26 May 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Hunting with Dogs Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5583261

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Absolutely. That is one of the fundamental problems with the Bill. The Member mentioned article 23B(4), which states:

"In this Part 'hunting a wild mammal' includes searching for and pursuing.'"

That is the only definition. That is what has caused alarm bells to ring for many Members. Hunting is much more than searching and pursuing. Dog walkers could be accused of searching and pursuing. John Larkin is quite clear about those particular parts. His opinion should be read into the record. He states:

"the effect of the Bill is to ban all hunting of wild mammals whether for recreation or food if a dog is used, even if the dog is never used to kill the hunted animal. While it will still be permitted to shoot birds using a dog, it will not be permitted to shoot deer or rabbits for recreation or for the purposes of eating them or for a combination of both of these purposes... If this Bill is enacted, 'Shooting for the pot' is, if a dog is used, rendered unlawful."

We are told that that is not the intention of the Bill, but that is interpretation of an eminent KC. He says that, put simply, it seems to him that dog ownership would be made more burdensome, if not dangerous, if the Bill were to be enacted. He says about the explanatory and financial memorandum:

"As an aid to interpretation, the explanatory notes can be considered to have very little, if any, weight or value. That would be so even if there were not instances of the explanatory notes giving an inaccurate account of the Bill."

That is why his interpretation is important. Members, as I have said, it is this blue-papered Bill and its content that we will have to live by. John Larkin talks about its potentially being in breach of fundamental legal principles and, as I have said, being capable of criminalising innocent behaviour by responsible dog owners. He highlights the fact that the definition of "hunting" in particular in the Bill is so broad that any dog that pursues a wild mammal, even unintentionally, could place its owner at risk of prosecution. He further notes that the Bill will fail to provide legal certainty, which is a basic requirement of good lawmaking. When a former Attorney General says such things, it is enough for us to sit up and take note. The Bill introduces strict liability. It removes the requirement for there to be intent and exposes ordinary dog owners to prosecution for what is natural canine behaviour. When two of the most senior legal minds on this island sound the same alarm, the Assembly should listen. I remember when Mr Allister, the then Member for North Antrim, spoke in the Second Stage debate on the Hunting of Wild Mammals Bill. He spoke specifically about the strict liability clause. That point was not disproved in the debate, after which the Bill was defeated. Members tried to rubbish the claim of strict liability at the time, yet now we have John Larkin KC echoing that claim. One would think that those Members would have attempted to address that very matter between then and now, but that has not been done. As I have said, the Bill has placed on the Assembly a duty to legislate on hunting with dogs. The Assembly has a duty to legislate with precision, with fairness and with respect for the rule of law. The Bill fails that test. Those who promote the Bill often speak as though wildlife simply manages itself. It does not. Farmers, gamekeepers, conservation volunteers and rural communities have been the backbone of wildlife management for generations. Many Members have commented on the need to protect farmers' ability to protect their livestock. That is a fundamental issue for any Bill to address. The Bill sponsor talked about its being included in the Bill, but anybody who fundamentally understands the countryside will understand that a farmer will often acquire the services of local huntsmen to use their expertise to ensure appropriate wildlife management of predator populations that are causing a risk to their flocks.

689 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:41 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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