Animal Law News
The latest news and views about animal protection law and policy in the UK and beyond. Written by our volunteer team and guest contributors.
England moves one step closer to banning the keeping of primates as pets
On 14 December 2023, the Government moved a step forward to prohibiting in England the keeping of primates as pets by persons at home and in private collections by laying out the draft Animal...
Celebrating World Animal Day 2023
4 October 2023Laura Kiy, Tiffany Mitchell, Lotta Teale, Paula Sparks - UK Centre for Animal Law For World Animal Day, we are celebrating recent positive law reforms that have the potential to...
Congrats to our 2023 Student Essay Competition Winners!
Join us in extending congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Annual Student Essay Competition. Daniel is our first-place winner for the 2023 competition, and you’ll be able to read his...
Sentencing Council Guidelines for Animal Cruelty Offences
The Sentencing Council has issued guidelines effective from 1 July 2023, which reflect the increased sentencing powers under the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 (the ‘Act’) for animal cruelty...
Protecting & Preserving Betteshanger Country Park
Betteshanger Country Park in Deal, Kent is a testament to the positive environmental impact a community can have when they come together to reimagine and revitalise land impacted by years of...
Compulsory microchipping for cats in England
by the A-Law companion animals working group At long last, cats in England will have stronger protections under the law. After years of campaigns from action groups, cat owners and more, on March 13...
Home Office Reinstates Animal Testing Ban for Cosmetics Ingredients Following High Court ruling on a Judicial Review of UK Policy
In a case brought by Cruelty Free International, (“CFI”) the High Court ruled on 5 May 2023 that the UK government was acting legally when it relaxed its policy ban on animal testing for cosmetics...
Chris Packham Succeeds in Libel Action
Chris Packham wins libel claim in respect of articles published on Country Squire website accusing him of dishonesty. One of the allegations made against Mr Packham concerned his fundraising for...
Proposed Amendments to the Online Safety Bill
The primary aim of the Online Safety Bill is to protect children and other vulnerable individuals from harmful online content. While this covers content that relates to violence, drugs, alcohol or...
Prop 12 law to protect farmed animals upheld by US Supreme Court: Analysis
By Oliver Hirsch The US Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 12, a Californian law setting minimum standards for the confinement of egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and cows. What is Prop 12? “Prop...
Two important ‘Animal’ Bills pass through the House of Commons and head to the Lords
By Rob Espin, Solicitor and Co-Chair of A-LAW Wildlife Special Interest Group Friday 17 March saw both the Hunting Trophies (Importation Prohibition) and the Animals (Low-Welfare Animal Activities...
2022 ANNUAL STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION WINNERS
Join us in extending congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Annual Student Essay Competition. Elena, an aspiring barrister completing vocational studies at the Inns of Court College of...
For Better or for Worse: We Get to Decide
By Nicole Bergman - Law Student and A-LAW Legal Correspondent RSPCA publishes thought provoking resources about animals and society. The connection between human behavior, animal welfare, and the...
TWO CENTURIES SINCE THE FIRST LAW TO PREVENT ANIMAL CRUELTY – WHERE ARE WE NOW?
By Nicole Bergman - Law Student and A-LAW Legal Correspondent Our Chair, Paula Sparks, along with Professor Andrew Knight, Professor David Favre, and Dr Aysha Akhtar, discuss [article here] the...
The Benefits and Drawbacks of the Australian Alliance for Animals
by: Ankita Shanker LLB (R’dg) BCL (Oxf) BPTC (BPP) The animal protection movement is growing fast. From civil society to academics, politicians and legislators to judges, many are engaging in this...
The leading role of the United Kingdom during the COP19
By Dr. Meganne Natali The CITES Conference of the Parties, this year called COP19, occurred in Panama City, from 14 to 25 November. The Conference of Parties meets every 2-3 years to review...
A-LAW member’s sanctuary reflections at Christmas!
By Hannah L Moneagle, Director & Solicitor As with many charities, funding remains an enormous challenge for Willows and, this Christmas, it is hoped that animal lovers and supporters of Willows...
Why should the UK ban the import of foie gras?
By Dr. Eugénie Duval, Lecturer, Essex Law School Despite recent calls by animal welfare organizations, a ban of foie gras import seems to no longer be on the agenda after the UK government...
An Analysis of the UK’s Ivory Act
By Rob Espin What follows is a summary abstract of a longer article from our latest edition of the UK Journal of Animal Law, available to members of the UK Centre for Animal Law. If you would like...
Crown Court given first suspended prison sentence ruling in animal cruelty case
By Debbie Lee A man was handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence from the Crown Court for poisoning his neighbours' cats, using a high concentration of ethylene glycol mixed with tuna...
A Deep Dive: Exploring the truth behind UK fish and crustacean welfare
by Mary Legge and Nadia Napieraj On April 13, our Student Chapter held an in-depth consideration of fish & crustacean welfare in the UK, joined online by five speakers and more than 50...
The Pressing Need for Horseshoe Crab Protection
By Mia Puplett Whilst many people might recognise the horseshoe crab’s alien-like appearance, few know that these animals are used in huge numbers in medicine. Horseshoe crabs, which are...
Chile Supreme Court Dismisses Orangutan ‘Personhood’ Petition
By Dr. Joe Wills, Lecturer in Law, University of Leicester Background The name ‘orangutan’ is derived from the Malay words 'orang' (person) and 'hutan' (forest), and thus means 'person of the...
Comment on the 2022 Cecilia Moot from Thompson G. Page
Shared by Thompson G. Page, American lawyer and general counsel to The Center for Animal Litigation, Inc. Participating as a judge in the 2022 Cecilia Moot was a pure delight, and for many who...
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