{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/hunting-with-dogs-scotland-act-2023/section-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/hunting-with-dogs-scotland-act-2023/section-2.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/2",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Offences of knowingly causing or permitting another person to hunt using a dog",
  "text": "(1) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) the person—\n(i) is an owner or occupier of land, and\n(ii) knowingly causes or permits another person to hunt a wild mammal using a dog on that land, and\n(b) none of the exceptions in sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 apply to the hunting.\n(2) A person commits an offence if—\n(a) the person—\n(i) owns or is responsible for a dog, and\n(ii) knowingly causes or permits another person to hunt a wild mammal using that dog, and\n(b) none of the exceptions in sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 apply to the hunting.\n(3) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine not exceeding £40,000 (or both).\n(4) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) or (2) to show that the person reasonably believed that any of the exceptions in sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 applied to the hunting.\n(5) In this Part, an “owner” of land includes a person who—\n(a) manages or controls that land, or\n(b) is authorised to give permission for that land to be used for hunting.\n(6) In this Act, a person “is responsible for” a dog where the person—\n(a) is responsible for the dog on a temporary or permanent basis,\n(b) is in charge of the dog, or\n(c) has actual care and control of a person under the age of 16 years who is responsible for the dog under paragraph (a) or (b).",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 2 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 31(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 2 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/2",
    "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."
}