A person who intentionally or recklessly kills, injures, or takes any brown
hare or brown hare leveret (Lepus europaeus) in the close season is guilty of
an offence.
A
bill
to
Establish a close season, from the start of February to the end of September, during which the killing or taking of brown hares is prohibited; protect mountain hares; repeal the seasonal prohibition of the sale of hares in the Hares Preservation Act 1892; and for connected purposes.
B e it enacted by the King’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:—
A person who intentionally or recklessly kills, injures, or takes any brown
hare or brown hare leveret (Lepus europaeus) in the close season is guilty of
an offence.
In this section, “close season” means the period in any year beginning on 1
February and ending on 30 September.
Exceptions to the offence in subsection (1) are set out in section 3.
A person guilty of an offence under section 1 is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine, or to both.
A land owner, lawful occupier or person authorised by the landowner or
lawful occupier (an “authorised person”), is not guilty of an offence under
section 1 if the person shows that their action was necessary for the purpose
of preventing serious damage to crops on the land owned or occupied.
To be entitled to rely on the defence under subsection (1) the authorised
person must show that—
they had reasonable grounds for believing that brown hares (Lepus
europaeus) had caused serious damage to crops on the land,
it was likely that further damage would be caused to the crops and
the damage was likely to be serious,
non-lethal methods had failed, and
their action was necessary and proportionate for the purpose of
preventing the damage.
To be entitled to rely on the defence under subsection (1) an authorised person
must also show that they obtained a licence under section 16 of the Wildlife
and Countryside Act 1981, prior to the action.
A person is not guilty of an offence under section 1 if the person shows that
the animal had been so seriously disabled, otherwise than by their unlawful
act, that there was no reasonable chance of its recovering.
A person is not guilty of an offence under section 1 if they show that the
animal—
had been disabled otherwise than by their unlawful act, and
was taken solely for the purpose of tending it and releasing it when
no longer disabled.
In Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (animals which are
protected), at the appropriate place insert—
“Hare, Mountain
Lepus timidus”
The Hares Preservation Act 1892 is repealed.
This Act extends to England and Wales only.
This Act comes into force at the end of the period of one month beginning
with the day on which it is passed.
This Act may be cited as the Hares (Close Season) Act 2026.
A
bill
to
Establish a close season, from the start of February to the end of September, during which the killing or taking of brown hares is prohibited; protect mountain hares; repeal the seasonal prohibition of the sale of hares in the Hares Preservation Act 1892; and for connected purposes.
Ordered to be Printed, .
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