Judicial review hearing over American XL Bully ban to be considered

A judicial review hearing over the recent American XL Bully ban is to be considered in January.

According to campaigners ‘Don’t Ban Me – Licence Me’, a judge has ordered that the case regarding a judicial review be “expedited” and a new judge will decide after 15 January whether or not to grant permission.

The decision follows the group’s judicial review application earlier in December 2023, with Sophie Coulthard, from Don’t Ban Me – Licence Me, adding on a social media update: “Essentially, there is another hoop we need to jump through.”

The group also said its request for an interim injunction was not granted, but it is now making “some amendments” to its judicial review application based on the injunction hearing.

Its previous petition to reverse the ban attracted over 600,000 signatures, with the group proposing alternative solutions “focusing on responsible ownership, licensing and education”.

Meanwhile, a temporary injunction was granted for all rescue American XL Bully-type dogs who were taken in after 31 October from being seized or destroyed.

The injunction followed an application by Carla Lane Animals in Need Liverpool, meaning that rescue centres do not have to destroy dogs who came into their care after 31 October on the grounds that it would not be possible for a rescue centre to apply for exemption.

The centre said following the decision: “We appeal to all rescues, if you are able to do so, consider making plans to give the dogs who are not homed today the life they deserve in your care. At present those dogs that came in before 31st October are safe to be exempted but no longer rehomed.

“Note that this is a temporary injunction but nevertheless it gives breathing space for now.”

It added: “It is recommended that if rescues do have dogs who they wish to exempt who were already in their care prior to 31 October, they begin making those applications from today when the current window for rescues to apply to exempt those dogs opened.

“Doing this now will allow further time in the future for any further exemption applications once the Court has had the opportunity to determine the issue as it relates to those dogs who came into rescue after 31 October.”