St Paul’s Chambers have years of experience and an excellent reputation in their defence of those who are unfortunate enough to find themselves on the receiving end of an RSPCA prosecution.

..........................Chambers are especially proud of the years of practice that Miss Ann Marie Gregory has.devoted to this area of law, her knowledge and expertise is second to none. Anne Marie is noted for her defence of complex RSPCA prosecutions.

On the 6th April 2007 the Government launched the new Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The AWA represents a significant change in the law and replaces a host of legislation including the old Protection of Animals Act 1911. For the first time ever it is not just an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal it is now an offence for an owner not to do all that is reasonable to provide for the welfare of their animals.

Owners must now ensure that their animals are provided with:

A suitable environment
A suitable diet
To be able to behave normally
To have appropriate housing
To be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

It is an offence for anyone under the age of 16 to buy a pet. Offenders can be banned from owning animals for anything up to and including life; fined up to £20,000; and or sent to prison for up to 51 weeks. The seizure of an animal and the lengthy criminal proceedings that follow is an extremely stressful experience for anyone who has been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a prosecution.

Few firms of solicitors and even fewer sets of Chambers have the expertise to deal with what senior judges have often described as this ‘difficult and little known area of law’.

Chambers are happy to participate in conferences and lectures on Animal Law.

Please contact Chambers direct for further assistance and information.