Weekly law digests

Animal welfare

Barker and another v Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [2018] EWHC 880 (Admin) [2018] All ER (D) 168 (Jan)

The proceedings concerned the first case to reach to High Court on the issue of sentencing for an offence, under s 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, of failing to take such steps as were reasonable, in all the circumstances, to ensure that the needs of an animal, for which a person was responsible, were met to the extent required by good practice. The appellants had pleaded guilty in the magistrates’ court to two offences under s 9 of the Act and had, among other things, been disqualified from owning or keeping any animal for a period of seven years, subject to one exception. The Crown Court upheld the disqualification order, but varied it to permit the appellants to own and keep terrapins. In dismissing the appellants’ appeal by way of case stated, the Administrative Court ruled that an ‘all animals’ prohibition under the Act was not wrong in principle