A NEW Animal Welfare Law has been passed by the States Assembly to replace previous legislation that was described as being no longer fit for purpose.
Environment Minister Steve Luce said the proposed law was informed by international best practice and would create a range of offences against animals, incorporating an inspection and enforcement regime to be supervised by the States Veterinary Officer and designated inspectors.
Deputy Luce said that keeping animals was a privilege, and that in putting forward the new law his intention was to create a situation where earlier intervention was possible, rather than the previous reactive model where action was only taken after harm began to be suffered by animals.
The new framework clarifies what constitutes failure of care and makes it easier to prove mistreatment where needed, he stated, pledging to maintain consultation with stakeholder groups, including animal charities, veterinarians, farmers, and local businesses.
The early stages of the debate focused on an amendment from the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel which incorporated concerns about the danger of future governments extending the scope of the law, and also that owners of livestock might end up being criminalised should their animals stray when issues such as broken fencing were not within their control.
With a vote taken in two parts, the Scrutiny amendment was defeated narrowly by 24 votes to 23 on each occasion.
The new law was then passed through a series of votes, each resulting with a large margin in favour, including the concluding vote which saw 46 Members in favour and one – Deputy Alex Curtis – against.
After the conclusion of the debate, Deputy Luce said: “Today marks an important milestone for Jersey and for animal welfare.
“We have taken a law that was no longer fit for purpose and replaced it with a truly modern piece of legislation, one that reflects today’s expectations, strengthens our protections, and brings us into line with standards in the UK and EU – it ensures animals in our Island receive the care, respect, and protection they deserve.”
