High Court Grants NFU Injunction Against Badger Cull Activists
UK – An interim injunction has been granted to protect National Farmers Union members in badger cull zones from various unlawful acts from anti-cull protestors.The High court has issued the injunction under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 against known defendants and ‘persons unknown’ to protect NFU staff, members and Officeholders.
Peter Kendall, NFU President, has welcomed the decision, saying it will stop harassment and threats made against a number of farmers and landowners in Gloucestershire, Somerset and the reserve cull area of Dorset.
He added that the culls were an ‘essential’ part in the bovine tuberculosis battle but that the court’s decision did not intend to prevent legitimate, legal cull protests.
Opinion remains divided on the efficacy of the badger culls as a bovine tb control measure but Mr Kendall said that everyone can agree to a common aim of reducing the disease.
Mr Kendall said: “For beef and dairy farmers dealing with TB on their farms, these badger culls are an essential part in the fight against this terrible disease. Opinion is divided, so, while we recognise that not everyone agrees with the government’s TB eradication policy, and the need to cull badgers to start to reduce this disease in cattle, we do acknowledge their legitimate right to hold peaceful protests.”
“What we cannot condone are the actions being used by extreme activists designed to harass, intimidate and threaten others.”
TheCattleSite News Desk