AIA Calls for Review of Animal Rights in Legislation at Lib Dem Lawyers Meeting

AIA has called for the Liberal Democrats to undertake a review of animal rights in legislation.

On 17th – 20th September 2016, the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association held their Rights-Liberties-Justice (RLJ) meetings at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton.  One of the meetings was entitled ‘Animal Welfare – Animal Rights. Time for A Review?’ and examined how the Animal Welfare Act 2006 had performed and whether animals should have rights.  Guest speakers included Liberal Democrats Dr Richard Ryder, leader of the animal rights movement in Oxford in the 1960s, and Gavin Grant, former Chief Executive of the RSPCA.  The event was organised by Graham Colley, Chair of RLJ.

Barbara Gardner of the Animal Interfaith Alliance attended the debate and asked whether there could be a review of how to include the rights of animals in legislation.  She said that it was time to stop tinkering around with animals’ welfare when their rights were being abused.  For example, we should not be considering laws concerning the welfare of animals during long distance transport when they should not be  being treated as freight at all. 

It was agreed that the RLJ group would take forward a review of how animal rights could be incorporated into future legislation.