Swiss Animal Law Developments and International Comparison

1. Swiss Animal Law Developmentsand International Comparison Dr. Gieri Bolliger FoundationfortheAnimal in the Law Conference«Animal Law and Ethics» Zurich, July 8, 2012

2. Overview I. Milestonesof Swiss Animal Welfare Law • Constitutionalanchoring • Legalstatus • Animal'sdignity II. WeakPoints of Swiss Animal Welfare Law • No protection of animal'slives • Scopeofapplication • Deficiencies in enforcement III. TakeHome Message IV. Questions and Discussion

3. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • Constitutional Anchoringof Animal Welfare • Animalwelfare • moralobligationforeveryone • however, self-responsabilityis not enough • → • mandatoryregulationsbythestate • → needfor strong supportfrom a bindinglaw strong legal pillarsforanimalwelfare

4. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law 1. Constitutional Anchoringof Animal Welfare 1973 Art. 80 Swiss Constitution (BV) → → → obligationforthelegislatortoenactanimalwelfareprovisions animalwelfareis a state matter and a stategoal importantpartofthe legal system, same statusasotherstategoals

5. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • 1. Constitutional Anchoringof Animal Welfare • first Swiss AnimalWelfareAct (TSchG) • first Swiss AnimalWelfareOrdinance (TSchV) • totallyrevised Swiss Animal WelfareAct (TSchG) • totallyrevised Swiss AnimalWelfareOrdinance (TSchV) • international comparison: • → • from an animalwelfarepointofview: • → OK oneofthemost progressiveAnimal WelfareActs only minimal standards, no ideal treatmentofanimals

6. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law 2. Legal Status of Animals 2003 Art. 641a Swiss Civil Code (ZGB) «Animals arenot objects.» → → animalsarenowlegallyconsideredas new legal category in additionto persons andobjects animals

7. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • 2. Legal Status of Animals • → • however, • severalchangements in Swiss Law: • propertylaw • tortlaw • inheritancelaw • deptenforcementandbankruptcylaw • symbolicsignificance legal recognitionassentientbeings • norightsandobligations • animals still belongtotheirowner’sproperty

8. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law 3. ProtectionoftheAnimal’sDignity Swiss Constitutionprotectsthe «dignitiyofcreature» (Art. 120 BV) Swiss AnimalWelfareActprotectsthe «animal’sdignity» Art. 1 TSchG (Purpose) «The purposeofthisActistoprotectthedignityandwelfareofanimals». Art. 3 TSchG (Definitions) Dignity: «Inherentworthoftheanimalthathastoberegardedwhen handlingit. (…)». → animals must berespectedandprotectedfortheirownsake

9. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • 3. ProtectionoftheAnimal’sDignity • «classical» (physical) elements • protectionfrompain, suffering, harmandfear • «ethical» elements • e.g. • → • humiliation • excessiveinstrumentalization • drasticinterferencewiththe • animal’sappearanceorabilities tendencyfrom a pathocentrictowards a biocentricanimalwelfare

10. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • 3. ProtectionoftheAnimal’sDignity • protectionofanimal’sdignityis not complete • every stressviolatestheanimal’sdignity • however, not everyviolationofthedignityis a disregard • → → → • interestsofanimal‘sdignity vs. user‘sinterests only a disregardislegally relevant justificationispossible considerationofinterests

11. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • 3. ProtectionoftheAnimal’sDignity • CriminalProvisions: • Art. 26 TSchG (crueltytoanimals) • «Anyonewhodeliberately • a. mistreatsorneglects an animal, unnecessarilyoverworksitor • in anyotherwaydisregardsitsdignity; • (…) • isliableto a termofimprisonmentor a fine.»

12. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law ProtectionoftheAnimal’sDignity courtdecisions absolutelyprohibitedbylaw (2008) primatesexperiments(2009) zoophilia postaldelivery politicaldecisions docking dolphinimportban(2012) torturebreeding

13. I. Milestones of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law 3. ProtectionoftheAnimal’sDignity examplesbeingdiscussed

14. II. Weak Points of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • Noprotectionofanimal’slives Art. 1 TSchG (Purpose) «The purposeofthisActistoprotectthedignityandwelfareofanimals». → eveniflifecanbeconsideredasthemost fundamental interestof an animal however, not toprotecttheirlife

15. II. Weak Points of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • Noprotectionofanimal’slives motive: various human demands in using(andkilling)animals prohibitedascrueltytoanimals (Art. 26 TSchG): • killing in a torturousmanner • mischievouskilling • killing in fights withorbetweenanimals

16. II. Weak Points of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • Noprotectionofanimal’slives → → «reasonablemotive» killingislegalifthere’snopain, suffering, harmorfear decisionsaboutlifeanddeathlie in thehandsoftheanimal’sowner

17. II. Weak Points of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law 2. Onlyvertebratesareprotectedbythe Animal WelfareAct mammals birds fishes reptiles amphibians exceptions: cephalopodsandreptantia

18. II. Weak Points of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • Onlyvertebratesareprotectedbythe Animal WelfareAct → → motive: only5%ofanimalspeciesareprotectedbylaw invertebrates nolegal protection e.g. snails orinsects forspiders, noscientificevidenceabouttheircapacityforsuffering

19. II. Weak Points of Swiss AnimalWelfare Law • Deficiencies in Enforcement requirementstoachieveimprovement: • appropriateinstrumentsandstructures • stateauthoritieswithfar-reachingcompetences • specificstakeholdersforanimals • appropriatestaff • awareness • professionnelcompetence • dedication

20. III. Take Home Message • animalwelfaredoesn’tworkwithoutbindinglaw → • animalsaresentientbeingswhich live fortheirownsake → • eventhebestlawisonlyasgoodasitsimplementation → requires legal anchoring, atbest on a constitutionallevel requires progressive regulationsregarding theirnaturalneedsandcapacityforsuffering requiresappropriatetoolsandstafffor theenforcement

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