Animals (Control of Experiments) Act

Act 9 of 1957

Citation
Act 9 of 1957
Date
30 June 2012
Language
English
Type
Act
Seychelles

Animals (Control of Experiments) Act

Act 9 of 1957

  • Commenced on 10 June 1957
  • [This is the version of this document at 30 June 2012 and includes any amendments published up to 30 June 2014.]
[Act 9 of 1957; Act 3 of 1959; S.I. 95 of 1975; Act 23 of 1976]

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Animals (Control of Experiments) Act.

2. Interpretation

In this Act—"animal" means a living vertebrate animal;"experiment" means any experiment performed on an animal and calculated to give pain;"licensee" means a person licensed under section 7.

3. Experiments only to be performed by licensed persons

(1)No person except a licensee shall perform any experiment.
(2)No licensee shall perform any experiment except in accordance with the terms of his license and subject to the restrictions imposed by this Act.

4. Experiments not to be performed for purposes of attaining manual skill

No licensee shall perform any experiment for the purpose of attaining manual skill.

5. Restriction on performance of experiments for illustration of lectures

No licensee shall perform any experiment for the purpose of illustrating any lecture at any Hospital, Medial School, College or any other academic institution unless he is the holder of a teaching permit under this Act, and unless the experiment is of a class specified in such permit and is performed in accordance with the terms of such permit.

6. Restrictions upon performances of experiments by licensee

(1)Except as otherwise provided in section 5 no licensee shall perform any experiment except—
(a)for the purpose of the advancement by new discovery of physiological knowledge, or of any knowledge which will be useful for saving or prolonging life, or alleviating suffering, or for combating any disease whether of human beings, animals or plants;
(b)for the purpose of testing any former discovery alleged to have been made for the advancement of the types of knowledge referred to in paragraph (a);
(c)by the order in writing of a judge or a Magistrate in any case where the Judge or the Magistrate is satisfied that it is essential for the purpose of justice in a criminal case to make such experiment.
(2)Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), no licensee shall perform any experiment unless—
(a)throughout the whole of the experiment the animal is under the influence of some anesthetic of sufficient power to prevent the animal feeling pain; and
(b)if the pain is likely to continue after the effect of the anaesthetic has ceased, or if any serious injury has been inflicted on the animal, the animal is killed before it recovers from the influence of the anaesthetic which has been administered.
(3)The provisions of subsection (2) shall not apply to any licensee who is the holder of a special permit granted under section 9 in relation to any experiment specified in such special permit.

7. Grant of license

(1)The Minister may grant a license to any person to perform any experiment for any purpose specified in such license during such period subject to such conditions in addition to the conditions specified in this Act as he may think fit.
(2)It shall bee a condition of any licence granted under subsection (1) that any experiment performed pursuant to such license shall be performed at such place as may be specified in such licence.

8. Permits

(1)Where the Minister is satisfied that it is absolutely necessary for the due instruction of persons attending any course of lectures for the purpose of acquiring physiological knowledge or any knowledge which will be used for saving or prolonging life, or alleviating suffering, or for combating any disease whether of human beings, animals or plants, for any such lecture to be illustrated by the performance of any experiment, the Minister may grant to a licensee a teaching permit to perform any experiment specified in such licence for the purpose of illustrating such lecture.
(2)Every teaching permit under this section shall be subject to such conditions in addition to any conditions specified in this Act as may be specified in such permit, and such permit shall remain in force for twelve months from the date on which it is granted.

9. Special permits

(1)Where the Minister is satisfied that the object of any experiment permitted to be performed by a licensee would necessarily be frustrated—
(a)by the performance of such experiment under any anaesthetic; or
(b)by killing the animal on which such experiment is performed before it recovers from the influence of any anaesthetic,
he may grant a special permit authorizing the licensee to perform such experiment without administering any anaesthetic to the animal or without killing the animal before it recovers from the influence of such anaesthetic as the case may be.
(2)Any special permit under this section shall specify the period for which it shall remain in force.

10. Records and inspection

(1)Every licensee shall keep, in such form as may be prescribed, records of all painful experiments performed by him.
(2)Every licensee shall permit any person authorized in writing by the Minister to inspect any records kept by him at any time between 8 am to 6 pm on any day other than a Sunday or public holiday.
(3)Every licensee shall permit any person authorized in writing as aforesaid to enter and inspect, for the purpose of securing compliance with the provisions of this Act, any place specified in such licensee’s license for the performance of experiments.

11. Returns

Every licensee shall render to the Minister in such form and at such time as may be prescribed such returns as may be required in relation to any experiments performed by him.

12. Regulations

(1)The Minister may make regulations generally for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act.
(2)Regulations made under this section may without prejudice to the generality of the power conferred by subsection (1) provide for the keeping of records of all experiments performed by any licensee and for the rendering of returns in relation to any experiments performed under this Act.

13. Revocation of license or permit

It shall be a condition of every licence or permit granted under this Act that such licence or permit may be revoked at any time by the person granting it on his being satisfied that such licence or permit ought to be revoked.

14. Penalty

Every person who acts in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or of any condition of any licence or permit granted under this Act shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

15. Restriction on prosecution of licensee

A prosecution under this Act against a licensee shall not be instituted except by or with the consent of the Attorney-General.
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History of this document

30 June 2012 this version
Consolidation
10 June 1957
Commenced