The League Against Cruel Sports has condemned the decision made today at The Royal Courts of Justice to proceed with the Coalition Government’s proposed badger cull in England.

The Judge, Mr Justice Ouseley, today rejected the Badger Trust’s challenge, by Judicial Review, to the Government’s policy of allowing the culling of badgers In England. The proposal aims to halt the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, over a period of nine years.

The main two grounds to the Badger Trust’s challenge – both rejected – were, firstly ”that the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 does not empower the Secretary of State to do what she proposes in her policy” and secondly “that the Secretary of State failed to ascertain the full costs of the chosen option.”

Speaking today on behalf of The League Against Cruel Sports, Joe Duckworth, Chief Executive says: “We are extremely saddened and frustrated that, despite the lack of scientific evidence and welfare concerns raised, the decision has been made to still go ahead with such a barbaric and unnecessary procedure, one which will see thousands of badgers slaughtered.

“Today’s decision fails to recognise that badger culling is an unsupported approach to tackling bovine TB and one that will leave the majority of the TB problem present, even if it reaches its most optimistic targets.”

Permission for a Judicial Review into the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affair’s (Defra) decision was granted following The Badger Trust’s legal challenge to the Coalition Government’s decision earlier this year. Following today’s outcome, The Badger Trust will have seven days to decide whether they wish to appeal the decision.

Joe Duckworth concludes: “The method of controlled shooting of badgers has never been tested and serious welfare concerns remain about such practices. The League and our other coalition partners remain committed to supporting The Badger Trust in seeking to ensure that the indiscriminate culling of badgers is not allowed to go ahead in England.”