Animal Law in Australia

1. A 2009 report by Voiceless of Australia - Animal Law Toolkit.

2. A (2006) paper by Siobhan O'Sullivan - Animal Reserach Policy, Public Perceptions, and the Problems of Transparency.

3. For an introduction to the structure of animal law in Australia see (2004) paper by Katrina Sharman.

For a summary of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1979  (New South Wales), click here.  The associated regulations including Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (General) Regulation 1996 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Trades) Regulation 1996 are also available.

4. Sample cases from Australia:

• Liability for dog bite: Allanson v. Toncich  
• Criminal Liability not feeding horse: Daniele v Pullin
• Veterinarian malpractice: Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee v.Ronald George Lloyd  
• Criminal Liability for not caring for dog: RSPCA v Stojcevski

5. Sample of regional statututes.  As in the US, most animal laws in Austrailia are at the state level. As a sample the following laws are provided from Queensland.

• Agricultural Standards Act of 1994 (As Amended Oct. 2002) (425KB pdf)
• Agricultural Standards Regulations of 1997 (As amended Dec. 2003) (429KB pdf)
• Animal Care and Protection Act of 2001 (As amended Nov. 2003) (676KB pdf)
• Animal Care and Protection Regulation of 2002 (As amended Mar. 2003) (385 pdf)
• Nature Conservation Act of 1992 (As amended April 2004) (742 pdf)