{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/hunting-with-dogs-scotland-act-2023/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/hunting-with-dogs-scotland-act-2023/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2023/1",
  "legislation_title": "Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/hunting-with-dogs-scotland-act-2023",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Offence of hunting a wild mammal using a dog",
  "text": "(1) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) the person hunts a wild mammal using a dog, and\n(b) none of the exceptions in sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 apply.\n(2) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding £40,000 (or both),\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or a fine (or both).\n(3) In this Act—\n“hunting” includes, in particular, searching for and coursing (and related expressions are to be construed accordingly),\n“wild mammal” means any mammal (other than a human)—\n(a) which—\n(i) is living in a wild state,\n(ii) is of a species recognised as living in a wild state in the British Islands (as defined in schedule 1 of the Interpretation Act 1978), or\n(iii) has been deliberately released from temporary or permanent human control, and\n(b) which is not—\n(i) a rat,\n(ii) a mouse, or\n(iii) living under temporary or permanent human control.\n(4) In this Part, a person is “using a dog” when the hunting of a wild mammal by that person involves the use of a dog, even if the dog is not under that person’s control or direction (and related expressions are to be construed accordingly).",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 1 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 31(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 1 in force at 3.10.2023 by S.S.I. 2023/262, reg. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2023/1/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:12:18.508785+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}