Establish a close season, from the start of February to the end of September, during which the killing or taking of hares is prohibited; repeal the seasonal prohibition of the sale of hares in the Hares Preservation Act 1892; and for connected purposes.
House of Lords
30 April 2026
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
The Hares (Close Season) Bill would create a close season from 1 February to 30 September during which it would be illegal to deliberately or recklessly kill, injure or take hares or leverets. It would repeal the 1892 Hares Preservation Act’s seasonal ban on hare sales, and it includes limited defences for landowners or authorised people acting to prevent crop damage (with the proper Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 licence and conditions) and a defence if the animal is severely disabled and being tended for release. The bill applies to England and Wales and would take effect one month after passage.
The bill is currently at the 1st reading stage in the Lords (as of 28 November 2024). There have been no published amendments or committee recommendations yet, and no details on the next stage beyond the 1st reading have been released.
Generated 21 February 2026
28 Nov 2024
The 2024-26 session of Parliament has prorogued and this bill will make no further progress.
The Hares (Close Season) Bill would make it an offence to deliberately or recklessly kill, injure, or take hares or leverets during the close season (1 February to 30 September), with penalties of up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine. It would create a limited defence for landowners or authorised persons who act to prevent serious crop damage, provided they have a Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 licence and meet specified conditions, and there is also a defence if the animal was seriously disabled by another cause and is being tended for release. The bill repeals the Hares Preservation Act 1892, applies to England and Wales, and comes into force one month after passage.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
