After a long day in court on 24th April, We have been given permission for Judicial Review from Justice Dias, who acknowledged that there were "arguable" grounds in some aspects of the case, allowing the challenge to advance to a full trial at a future date.
There have been multiple features in the press and you can read the story, as covered by the court reporter here: https://news.sky.com/story/campaigners-against-governments-xl-bully-dogs-ban-given-green-light-to-bring-high-court-challenge-13122130
We will work on a summary of what happened in court and what the next steps are for the legal challenge.
A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU for your words of support and donations, which have got us to where we are today.
FAQ:
Q: Should I still follow the current legislation and restrictions if I have an exempted dog?
A: Absolutely. We encourage everyone to keep their dogs safe and continue to follow the legislation.
While we have permission to proceed with the Judicial Review, it does not affect the legislation and restrictions that are currently in place.
Q: What happens if my dog is seized?
A: Firstly, if your dog is seized do not sign anything and make sure you refuse consent to euthanise your dog.
Contact one of the groups who assist in dog seizures such as @saveourseizeddogs. If you require legal representation you can contact Tuckers Solicitors.
If you face a destruction order for your XL Bully type dog, inform the magistrates’ court of the permission decision and ask the magistrates to postpone any decision until after the Administrative Court has ruled.
If the magistrates refuse to adjourn and make a destruction order, then you could appeal to the Crown Court.
Q: Do I still have to neuter my dog?
A: We encourage you to follow the legislation on neutering.
An injunction has been carefully considered by the legal team but unfortunately this is not something that can be pursued.
Should your vet identify any medical issues with neutering we strongly recommend getting this in writing and contacting DEFRA directly for advice.
Q: Is there any news on the de-exemption process?
A: We do not have any news on the de-exemption process. This is something that was asked by our legal team but we have not had a response from the government.
We do not envisage having a response any sooner than it being announced to the public.
We we will update you when we have any more news, including a court date for the Judicial Review hearing.
