Petition · past parliament

Vicarious Liability Law to be introduced in England and Wales

Closed 302 signatures

What the petition asks

Birds of prey such as hen harriers are persecuted illegally in the grouse shooting industry across the UK.Gamekeepers want the grouse to be shot by people who pay to do it for "sport" and don't want birds of prey to eat them.It's very difficult to prove who killed the bird,with few prosecutions.
In Scotland, the laws protect raptors much better than in England and Wales.The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Scotland includes the "Vicarious Liability Law" which means that landowners should be held responsible, charged and prosecuted if a dead bird of prey is found on their land.This law needs to be expanded to England and Wales,to act as a deterrent to the illegal persecution of birds of prey,to enable successful prosecutions,revoke firearms and general licence of those responsible.

Timeline

23 Aug 2019 Petition opened for signatures
6 Nov 2019 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 302
Status Closed
Opened 23 Aug 2019
Closed 6 Nov 2019

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.