# Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, Section 2: Offences of knowingly causing or permitting another person to hunt using a dog

Extent: S

(1) A person commits an offence if—
(a) the person—
(i) is an owner or occupier of land, and
(ii) knowingly causes or permits another person to hunt a wild mammal using a dog on that land, and
(b) none of the exceptions in sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 apply to the hunting.
(2) A person commits an offence if—
(a) the person—
(i) owns or is responsible for a dog, and
(ii) knowingly causes or permits another person to hunt a wild mammal using that dog, and
(b) none of the exceptions in sections 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 apply to the hunting.
(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).
(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.
(5) In this Part, an “owner” of land includes a person who—
(a) manages or controls that land, or
(b) is authorised to give permission for that land to be used for hunting.
(6) In this Act, a person “is responsible for” a dog where the person—
(a) is responsible for the dog on a temporary or permanent basis,
(b) is in charge of the dog, or
(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).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2023/1/section/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/hunting-with-dogs-scotland-act-2023/section-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.