Fresh challenge to Scottish fox-hunting ban

Brian Friend, a member of the Union of Country Sports Workers, condemned the legislation as a "malicious" restriction on a group of people as he began his three-day appeal at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Mr Friend, 64, who is retired, aims to challenge a judge’s decision in June 2003 to uphold the legislation.

The former Navy pilot is appealing against the ruling made by Lord Brodie that the hunting ban did not breach a person’s human rights.

In court Mr Friend said he believed the ban was against the European Convention on Human Rights. The Devon huntsman, who also has a cottage at Kelso in the Borders, told the court it was a "malicious and unlawful restriction on a group of people to which Labour MSPs have taken an unwarranted dislike."

The Berwickshire Hunt supporter said Lord Brodie was "wrong on all the points of law" with which he dismissed his petition last year seeking a judicial review of the ban.

At the start of the hearing, Lord MacLean warned Mr Friend, who is representing himself, that he must not simply restate the arguments he put in a failed attempt to have the ban overturned last year.

The judge, sitting with Lady Paton and Lady Smith, said: "You must persuade us that the decisions Lord Brodie reached were wrong, were errors in law."

The case continues.