Thomson Reuters is pleased to announce the publication of a brand-new subtitle in The Laws of Australia. The new Subtitle 14.14 “Animals” covers the legal relationships between humans and non-human animals.

Animal law is an area that extends well beyond animal welfare, and can touch on diverse practice areas from Sport to Property, Natural Resources and even Family Law. It is also increasingly recognised as an academic discipline, with numerous Australian universities now offering elective courses.

Until now, The Laws of Australia’s coverage of the role of animals in the law has been limited to our Torts Title. In recognition of the significance of this area of the law, we have commissioned the new subtitle to ensure all aspects of Animal law are recorded in the encyclopaedia.

The subtitle begins with a discussion on statutory definitions of important terms, such as “animal” and “animal welfare”, before giving treatment to general animal cruelty legislation. It goes on to distinguish between animals in their domestic settings and those in the wild. This distinction has long been a feature of the common law, particularly for scienter liability.

Domestic animals are further broken down into three chapters: “companion animals”, including those used for disability assistance; animals farmed for food or fibre, including discussion on ritual slaughter; and animals used for scientific research, where ethical discussions are particularly relevant.

The discussion blurs the line between domestic and wild as it discusses animals used for sport, recreation and display such as for racing, hunting, zoos or circuses.

Finally, the treatment of animals in the wild has much to do with environmental protection and conservation. This topic covers two chapters. The first concerns domestic legislation, with a specific focus on pest species, kangaroos, and whale watching. The second covers the broader international issues relevant to animal law in Australia, including import and export, with a specific focus on whaling and migratory species.

The new subtitle was authored by John Mancy, Founding Editor of the Australian Animal Protection Law Journal.

We hope that our subscribers find this new content a useful addition to the Encyclopaedia. So far this year we have introduced additional material on “Cross-border Insolvency” and “Terrorism Offences”.  In the coming months we will also be publishing a new subtitle on “Internet Law”.

If you have feedback on other areas that we could cover in The Laws of Australia, please don’t hesitate to contact Rachael Lane, Product Manager.