Colorado has recently introduced legislation that will make it the first State in the US to ban both sow stalls and veal crates. 

Under CO S.B. 201, veal crates will be phased-out within four years and sow stalls within ten years.  The laws were passed after successful negotiations between the Humane Society of the United States and agricultural groups. The law reforms in Colorado are an encouraging sign for future progress in US animal laws.  The Californian government is due to vote on the prohibition of veal crates, sow stalls and battery cages in November. Florida, Arizona and Oregon have already prohibited sow stalls, while Arizona has prohibited veal crates. For further details and information, please follow this link to the CIWF website.

Note:
Sow stalls are still lawful in Australia though they are already banned in England, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Finland and are being phased out in the US states of Arizona, Florida and Oregon. Follow this link to find out more about how to speak out about the keeping of pigs in sow stalls and other pig protection issues.

Veal crates are not technically prohibited in Australia, though a Code of Practice endeavours to ensure that veal calves are reared in small groups in open pens, rather than in individual wooden crates. Despite this, the keeping of calves in individual pens is not unlawful and the veal industry appears to confine many calves in this fashion, while simultaneously feeding them low-iron diets to create ‘pink veal’. For more information about Dairy Welfare Issues, follow this link to RSPCA Victoria's Dairy Animal Welfare Seminar.

On Friday 16 May, representatives from key political parties will speak about their animal welfare policies and hear from leading animal advocates as part of Lawyers for Animals Victorian Law Week Event.

Guest panellists include the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP (on behalf of the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry), the Hon Senator Nigel Scullion (Federal Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry), The Hon Sue Pennicuik MLC (Victorian Greens), Glenys Oogjes (Executive Director, Animals Australia), Kristin Hilton (Executive Director, Public Interest Law Clearing House) and Katrina Sharman (Corporate Counsel, Voiceless).

Details: Friday 16 May 2008 from 6pm at Allens Arthur Robinson, Level 34, 530 Collins St, Melbourne. RSVP to nichola@lawyersforanimals.org.au  

In a landmark development for animal law, the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) recently raised the possibility of animal rights becoming the next great social justice movement. The announcement was made at the launch of the latest issue of the ALRC’s ‘Reform’ journal, which has been dedicated to Animal Law.

The Journal contains a wide variety of animal law essays including contributions from Voiceless’s patron, Noble Laureate, JM Coetzee and Voiceless’s corporate counsel, Katrina Sharman.

Follow this link to an online version of the Journal.

The Tasmanian Greens have paved the way for their State to become the first in Australia to ban battery hens with the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Ban Battery Hens) Amendment Bill 2008 into the House of Assembly. The Bill is part of a proposal which includes a Government package to help egg producers transition to non-caged egg systems and the creation of a ‘Cruelty-Free Tasmanian Eggs’ label to promote Tasmanian eggs across the country.

In a recent Parliamentary debate calling for an end to the practice of battery hen farming, Greens MP Kim Booth said that Tasmania needs to focus on ensuring that hens are not merely placed in cages that are “a little bit more comfortable like some sort of glorified Guantanamo Bay, where the chooks are not shackled anymore for 24-7 and get a bit of light into their cages..." (Parliament of Tasmania, Parliamentary Debates, House of Assembly, 12 March 2008, p 32). The Bill is expected to be debated in the near future.

Follow this link (pdf) to read a copy of Voiceless’s letter to the Hon. David Llewellyn MP, Tasmania’s Minister for Primary Industries and Water regarding this issue.

Earlier this month, the long-awaited verdict was announced in the matter of Department of Local Government and Regional Development (WA) v Emanuel Exports et al. The trial involved allegations that Emanuel and its directors breached the Animal Welfare Act 2002 (WA) by exporting live sheep in a way that caused them unnecessary harm.

The Magistrate found that the export of sheep in the circumstances of the case constituted a clear breach of the Act; however as the export was permitted under Commonwealth law, the relevant provisions of the Act were rendered inoperative or invalid under s109 of the Constitution. The Defendants were subsequently acquitted. This is a remarkable finding insofar as it confirms that Australia's Commonwealth laws legalise cruelty. To find out more about the case, login to Voiceless Law Talk. To learn about the live export trade, visit the 'Handle with Care' website.

Ref: Department of Local Government and Regional Development (WA) v Emanuel Exports et al (Magistrates Court of Western Australia [Criminal Jurisdiction], 8 February 2008)