Here’s another example of another raptor persecution case collapsing.
This was published in the latest edition of Legal Eagle (#87), the RSPB Investigation Team’s newsletter:
It’s so frustrating. Yes, the CPS is massively under-resourced and struggling to cope with far more serious crimes than this, so even more justification, then, for the need for a specialist wildlife crime unit to investigate and then prosecute alleged offenders.
Who’d pay for that? Licence the entire game shooting industry, which is the industry responsible for the vast majority of raptor persecution crimes, and it’d raise millions. Sorted.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Yes, a licence fee high enough to cover the administration of it, and cost of prosecutions,would make sure that the criminals, both employer and employee, would fully pay for their crimes.
Legal Eagle is published 4 times a year. The situation in the UK as far as bird of prey persecution is concerned is as bad as it was a year ago. I hope that I could be encouraged that the UK intends to no longer rank alongside Malta as the bird crime capital of Europe. There is the entry on to the scene of Nick Lyall. Is he prepared to fail as the RPPG has done in the past? Does the CPS in England intend to continue to fail to prosecute obvious cases of bird crimes which is welcome no doubt by many in the ‘establishment’ and the Government? The Bird Crime Scotland edition of legal eagle was published a few months ago. Many MSPs seem determined to remove the stigma of failure to stop the organised criminal behaviour behind wildlife crimes. The Werritty report is due. Is it going to act to halt wildlife crimes as well as regulate driven Grouse shooting? The Scottish government still insists it will legislate the 2015 Poustie Report findings this session of parliament. My petition is now in the hands of the Environment committee. This suggests legislation related to Poustie and means to allow researchers to perhaps set cameras on nests even if estates do not wish this to happen. It still does not adequately deal with a member of the public coming upon a crime in progress such as a baited pole trap having the power to set a covert camera but I intend somehow to ensure that MSPs have some legislative changes to propose to government as soon as I find out why Crown Counsel will not permit such events to reach court at present.
Am I encouraged? No. There has been for centuries a belief that members of the establishment have every right to ignore any laws set by parliaments and this will not change unless strong action is taken to force the issues.
There will need to be a huge change in the mindset of those who could throw spanners in the works which somehow regularly manage to frustrate successful prosecutions.
In every part of this United Kingdom we have senior people in power who may perhaps be determined to maintain this status quo. The status quo was set in the 19th Century which is where these people would prefer we had all stayed.
The path to 21st Century values will not be either quick or easy as far as environmental issues are concerned. The launch of Revive and Wild Justice give me limited confidence that we can hope to join the 21st Century.
Well said Alex!
Talking about heather burning getting out of control, north glenbuchat had a massive fire on Saturday and the pratically all of one side of a hill in glenbuchat was burnt .
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This is absolutely shocking , what about all the bird nests that are destroyed by heather burning ,?
They make an awful lot of ‘mistakes’ in huntin’ shootin’ & fishin’ cases. A cynic might suspect our old friend ”accidentally on purpose”.