I have received a number of e-mails expressing concerns about the nature of sentencing for animal cruelty offences.
I am pleased that we have a robust legal framework to tackle this vicious behaviour in the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The courts must decide what the penalty should be for each individual case, taking into account its circumstances and the guidelines laid down by the Sentencing Council.
The maximum penalty currently stands at six months' imprisonment and an unlimited fine can also be applied in conjunction with this sentence or applied as an alternative form of punishment. The courts can also disqualify offenders from keeping animals for as long as they consider appropriate.
Update:The Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced on the 30th September 2017 new plans to increase the maximum punishments for animal cruelty tenfold, to five years imprisonment. More details on the proposals can be found here.
I’m pleased that the Environment Secretary has moved to ensure that courts have a better ability to pass sentences that better fit the nature of the crimes committed. In light of rare, yet shocking, recent cases, there is a need for greater scope in the punishments for animal cruelty to reflect the range of offences that have been committed. These plans set out the clear and vital message that animal cruelty has no place in the UK and I’m following developments on the proposals with interest.
Thank you again for taking the time to e-mail me about this important issue.