Britain has a long history of protecting animals from cruelty. In 1822, its parliament passed the first legislation specifically intended to prevent cruelty to animals. In 2006, it again passed important legislation to protect animals.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 introduced the most significant changes to animal-welfare legislation in nearly a century. It recognizes that people who keep animals have a responsibility to protect them from more than just overt cruelty. The Act focuses on the conditions in which animals are kept and places a duty of care on those who keep them to provide a minimum standard of care.

On November 29 (1-2 p.m.), a talk at the University of Hong Kong by Mike Radford, a reader in Public Law and Animal Welfare Law at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, will focus on reasons for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the improvements to animal-welfare protection that resulted. The venue is Room 404, 4/F, T.T. Tsui Building.

Public Affairs Office
University of Hong Kong

(November 27, 2011)


Minimum standard of care required.

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