Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Injunction to be served forcing Thanet District Council to re-open port to live animal exports.


Thanet District Council will be served with an injunction forcing the council to re-open the Port of Ramsgate to live animal exports.
The news follows a High Court decision today (Tuesday 16 October), which stated that until the outcome of a full judicial review into the council’s decision to suspend animal movements was determined, the Port would legally have to remain open to the trade in the interim.
Thanet District Council was served with legal proceedings on Friday 5th October against its decision to impose a temporary ban on all animal movements through its Port.
The challenge, being determined by Judicial Review, sought four key claims:
  1. To overturn the decision of the council to temporarily suspend the movement of live animals at the Port of Ramsgate.
  2. A mandatory order requiring the council to lift its ban on the shipment of exports.
  3. Damages for breach of European law.
  4. Interim order requiring the council to re-open the Port for live animal movements in the meantime, pending determination of application for judicial review.
Although being forced to reopen to the trade in the short term, the council is still mounting a vigorous defence of its action.
Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Clive Hart, said: “The appalling incidents of 12th September were a very clear and practical indication to the council that the Port of Ramsgate is not an appropriate place to carry out the export of live animals. This is something we had been explaining to government agencies consistently for many months previously.
“The council is very clear in our view of this trade. However, if despite our strongest possible efforts to ensure the welfare of animals moving through the Port of Ramsgate, the High Court still determines that the Port must re-open to this trade, then our hands are absolutely tied.
“I would like to thank the RSPCA for their continued professional help with this issue.
We now need to meet with our lawyers to plan how best to progress our case.”
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousWednesday, 17 October 2012 at 10:53:00 BST

    I hope Clive Hart will be personaly responsible for al the cost of this silly nonsence.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousThursday, 18 October 2012 at 15:08:00 BST

    Why are we funding the in-house TDC and KCC lawyers to hire more lawyers to allow 46 sheep to be slaughtered on the dockside?

    ReplyDelete

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