OpenLegislation

Deer Act 1991 in Scotland

1991 c. 54 · Enacted 25 July 1991 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Not fully up to date. 2 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 24 May 2018.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 9(1)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 43
s. 10(3)words repealedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 37 Pt. 9

An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to deer with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission.

[25th July 1991]

C1Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—C2

Annotations to the whole text

Modifications

C1

[A table showing the derivation of the provisions of this consolidation Act will be found at the end of the Act. The table has no official status.]

C2

Act functions transferred (24.5.2018) by The Welsh Ministers (Transfer of Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/644), art. 29

Contents

  1. 1Poaching of deer.
  2. 3Taking or killing of deer at night.
  3. 5Attempts to commit certain offences, etc.
  4. Supplementary
  5. 17Transitional provisions, consequential amendment and repeals.
  6. Schedule 2: Prohibited firearms and ammunition
  7. Firearms
  8. 1Paragraph 1
  9. 2Paragraph 2
  10. 3Paragraph 3
  11. Ammunition
  12. 4Paragraph 4
  13. 5Paragraph 5
  14. Schedule 4Enactments repealed
  15. Schedule TABLE OF DERIVATIONSSchedule TABLE OF DERIVATIONS

1Poaching of deer.

(1)

Subject to subsection (3) below, if any person enters any land without the consent of the owner or occupier or other lawful authority in search or pursuit of any deer with the intention of taking, killing or injuring it, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2)

Subject to subsection (3) below, if any person while on any land—

(a)

intentionally takes, kills or injures, or attempts to take, kill or injure, any deer,

(b)

searches for or pursues any deer with the intention of taking, killing or injuring it, or

(c)

removes the carcase of any deer,

without the consent of the owner or occupier of the land or other lawful authority, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(3)

A person shall not be guilty of an offence under subsection (1) or subsection (2) above by reason of anything done in the belief that—

(a)

he would have the consent of the owner or occupier of the land if the owner or occupier knew of his doing it and the circumstances of it; or

(b)

he has other lawful authority to do it.

(4)

If any authorised person suspects with reasonable cause that any person is committing or has committed an offence under subsection (1) or subsection (2) above on any land, he may require that person—

(a)

to give his full name and address; and

(b)

to quit that land forthwith;

and any person who fails to comply with a requirement under this subsection shall be guilty of an offence.

(5)

In subsection (4) above “authorised person”, in relation to any land, means the owner or occupier of the land or any person authorised by the owner or occupier, and includes any person having the right to take or kill deer on the land.

3Taking or killing of deer at night.

Subject to sections 6 and 8 below, if any person takes or intentionally kills any deer between the expiry of the first hour after sunset and the beginning of the last hour before sunrise, he shall be guilty of an offence.

5Attempts to commit certain offences, etc.

(1)

Any person who attempts to commit an offence under any of sections 2 to 4 above shall be guilty of an offence.

(2)

If any person, for the purpose of committing an offence under any of sections 2 to 4 above, has in his possession—

(a)

any article the use of which is prohibited by section 4(1)(b), section 4(2)(b) or section 4(2)(c) above, or

(b)

any firearm or ammunition,

he shall be guilty of an offence.

17Transitional provisions, consequential amendment and repeals.

(1)

Anything done under any provision of the M1Deer Act 1963 or the M2Deer Act 1980 shall have effect as if it had been done under the corresponding provision of this Act.

(2)

Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, a licence granted by the Nature Conservancy Council under section 11 of the Deer Act 1963 which, by virtue of paragraph 8 of Schedule 11 to the M3Environmental Protection Act 1990, has effect as if granted by the Nature Conservancy Council for England or the Countryside Council for Wales, shall be treated as if it had been granted under subsection (1) or, as the case may be, subsection (2) of section 8 above.

(3)

Where a licence granted under section 11 of the Deer Act 1963 contains a reference to an enactment repealed by this Act, the licence shall be construed as referring, or, as the context requires, as including a reference to, the corresponding provision of this Act.

(4)

Where a period of time specified in an enactment repealed by this Act is current at the commencement of this Act, this Act shall have effect as if the corresponding provision thereof had been in force when that period began to run.

F1(5)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6)

The enactments specified in Schedule 4 to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.

1

Any smooth-bore gun.

2

Any rifle having a calibre of less than .240 inches or a muzzle energy of less than 2,305 joules (1,700 foot pounds).

3

Any air gun, air rifle or air pistol.

4

Any cartridge for use in a smooth-bore gun.

5

Any bullet for use in a rifle other than a soft-nosed or hollow-nosed bullet.

Schedule 4Enactments repealed

ChapterShort titleExtent of repeal
1963 c. 36.The Deer Act 1963.The whole Act.
1973 c. 54.The Nature Conservancy Council Act 1973.In Schedule 1, paragraph 5.
1977 c. 4.The Roe Deer (Close Seasons) Act 1977.The whole Act.
1980 c. 49.The Deer Act 1980.The whole Act.
1981 c. 69.The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.In Schedule 7, paragraphs 4 to 6.
1982 c. 19.The Deer (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 1982.In Schedule 2, paragraph 4.
1984 c. 60.The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.In Schedule 6, paragraphs 13 and 23.
1987 c. 28.The Deer Act 1987.The whole Act.
1990 c. 43.The Environmental Protection Act 1990.In Schedule 9, paragraph 3.

Schedule TABLE OF DERIVATIONS

Note: The following abbreviations are used in this Table:—

1963=The Deer ACt 1963
1973=The Nature Conservancy Council Act 1973
1977=:The Roe Deer (Close Seasons) Act 1977
1978=The Interpretaion Act 1978
1980=The Deer Act 1980
1981=The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
1982 c.19=The Deer (Amendment)(Scotland) Act 1982
1982 c.48=The Criminal Justice Act 1982
1984=The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
1987=The Deer Act 1987
1990=The Environmental Protection Act 1990
R (followed by a number)=The recommended set out in the paragraph of that number in the Appendix to the Report of the Law Commission on the consolidation (Cm. 1476).
ProvisionDerivation
1(1)-(4)1980 s. 1(1)-(4).
(5)1980 s. 1(7).
2(1), (2)1963 s. 1(1), (4); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(2); R.1>
(3)1963 s. 10(2A); 1987 s. 1.
(4)1963 s. 1(2), s. 12(2).
(5)1963 s. 1(3).
31963 s.2; R.1.
4(1),(2)1963 s.3(1); 1981 Sch. 7 para.5(2).
(3)1963 s. 3(4).
(4), (5)1963 s.3(2),(3).
51963 s.4;R.2.
6(1)1963 s. 10(2).
(2), (3)1963 s.10(1).
(4), (5)1963 s.10(3), (4); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 4.
7(1)-(3)1963 s.10A(1)-(3); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(1); R.3.
(4)1963 s.10A(6) (part); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(1).
(5)1963 s.10A(4), s.12(2); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(1);R.4.
(6)1963 s. 10A(5); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(1).
(7)1963 s. 10A(6)(part);1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(1).
8(1)-(3)1963 s.11(1), (3); 1973 Sch. 1 para. 5; 1990 Sch. 9 para. 3.
(4), (5)1963 s.11(2), (3); 1973 Sch. 1 para. 5; 1990 Sch. 9 para. 3.
9(1)1963 s.6(1); 1980 s.1(5), Sch. 2; 1982 c.48 s.46.
(2)1963 s.6(2); 1980 s. 1(6), Sch. 2.
10(1)1980 s.2(1); 1982 c. 48 s. 46.
(2)1980 s. 2(3).
(3),(4)1980 s.2(2); 1982 c.48 s.46.
(5)1980 s.2(4).
11(1)1980 s.3(1).
(2)1980 s.3(2) (part).
(3)1980 s.3(3); 1982 c. 19 Sch. 2 para. 4;R.5.
(4)-(7)1980 s.3(4)-(7); R.1.
(8)1980 s. 3(8); 1982 c.48 s.46.
(9)1980 s.3(9), s. 2(4).
12(1)1963 s.5(1); 1980 s.4(1), Sch. 2; 1984 Sch. 7 Part I.
(2)1963 s.5(2); 1980 s. 4(2), Sch. 2; 1984 Sch. 6paras. 13, 23.
(3)1963 s.5(3); 1980 s.4(3), Sch.2.
13(1)1963 s.6(3); 1980 s. 5(1)(a), (b), Sch.2.
(2)1980 s.5(1)(c), (d).
(3)1980 s.5(2); 1982 c.48 s.46.
141980 s.6;R.6.
15(1),(2)1963 s. 12(1),(1A); 1980 s.3(2)(part); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(3).
15(1),(2)1963 s.12(1), (1A); 1980 s.3(2)(part); 1981 Sch. 7 para. 5(3).
(3)1963 s.12(1B); 1981 Sch. 7 para.5(3).
161963 s.9;1978 s.17(2)(a); 1980 s.8;R.7.
17
18(1)
(2)1963 s.13(2), 1980 s. 9(3), 1987 s.2(3).
(3)
Sch. 11963 Sch. 1; 1977 s.1.
Sch. 21963 Sch. 2; 1981 Sch. 17 Part II;R.3.
Sch. 31980 Sch. 1.
Sch. 4