Animal Cruelty Offender Registry (England, Wales & Scotland) Bill

A bill to create a registry for those who commit acts of cruelty against animals in England, Wales and Scotland.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Section 1: Definitions

(1) Animal Cruelty is is the intentional infliction by humans of suffering or harm upon any non-human animal, excluding the necessary harm upon animals in the production of meat.

(2) An Animal Cruelty Offender is anyone that has been convicted of animal cruelty, this includes violating the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Section 2: Animal Cruelty Offender Registry

(1) The Secretary of State shall be responsible for the formation and maintenance of the Animal Cruelty Offender Registry.

(2) The necessary funds for the formation and maintenance of the Animal Cruelty Offender Register shall be outlined in the Department for Animal Welfare, Agriculture and Environment's budget.

(3) First time offenders will be on the register for three years.

(4) Subsequent offences will result in offenders being placed on the register for a further ten years.

(5) The Secretary of State may grant access to individuals or corporations who apply to view the register, otherwise the register will remain private.

(6) If a court conviction is being appealed, the person shall not be placed onto the register unless the conviction is upheld.

(a) The period of being on the register shall commence from when the appeal is dismissed.

(b) During the appeals process employers and organisations related to animals shall be able to request information relating to the suspected abuse.

(c) If an appeal is upheld and that person on the register, they shall immediately be removed from the register

(i) If that person was convicted for a first time offence, the status of having offended once for register purposes shall be removed.

Section 3: Extent, Commencement and Short Title

(1) This Act shall extend across England, Wales and Scotland.

(2) This Act shall come into force immediately on its passage.

(3) This Act may be cited as Animal Cruelty Offender Registry (England, Wales & Scotland) Act 2017.

This bill was written by /u/TobySanderson, First Minister of Northern Ireland, and has been brought to this house and adapted by /u/real-friends, Labour MP for West Midlands. Sponsored by the Conservative and Unionist Party.

This reading will end on 24 January 2017.