Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill [AS INTRODUCED] An Act of the Scottish Parliament to increase penalties and provide additional powers to investigate and enforce the offence of livestock worrying, and for connected purposes. 1 Offence under section 1 of the 1953 Act: name, definition and penalty (1) The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 (“the 1953 Act”) is amended as follows. 5 (2) The title of section 1 becomes “Offence where dog attacks or worries livestock on agricultural land”. (3) In that section— (a) in subsection (1), after “a dog” insert “attacks or”, (b) in subsection (2), paragraph (a) is repealed, 10 (c) in paragraph (b) of subsection (2A)— (i) after “guide dog” insert “or other assistance dog”, (ii) after “hunt” insert “, but only if and to the extent that the dog is performing the role in question”, (d) in subsection (4)— 15 (i) before “worrying” insert “attacking or”, (ii) before “worried” insert “attacked or”, (e) in subsection (6), for paragraphs (a) and (b) substitute— “(a) to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months; (b) to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale; or 20 (c) both.”. (4) In subsection (2) of section 2, before “worrying” insert “attacking or”. 2 Power to make order in respect of person convicted After section 1 of the 1953 Act, insert— SP Bill 72 Session 5 (2020) 2 Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill “1A Orders in respect of persons convicted of an offence under section 1 (1) Where a person (P) is convicted of an offence under section 1, the court may make an order— (a) disqualifying P from owning or keeping a dog during such period as the 5 court thinks fit, (b) requiring P, during such period as the court thinks fit, to prevent any dog of which P has charge from going on to land which P knows, or reasonably ought to know, is agricultural land on which livestock is present or is likely to be present, or 10 (c) both. (2) Where P is convicted of an offence under section 1, then for the purposes of any appeal under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (c.46) an order under subsection (1) is to be treated as a sentence. (3) If P fails to comply with an order under subsection (1), P commits an offence 15 and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale. (4) Subsection (5) applies where an order has been made under subsection (1) and at least one year has elapsed since the order was made. (5) P may, in such manner as may be prescribed by rules of court, apply to the 20 court which made the order for the order to be discharged in whole or in part, or otherwise varied. (6) If the application in respect of an order is refused, in whole or in part— (a) P may appeal to the Sheriff Appeal Court, and (b) no further application in respect of that order shall otherwise be 25 competent unless at least one year has elapsed from the date...