Wells N. The use of animals in research, testing and teaching in New Zealand – a legal perspective. ALTEX. 2006;23(Special Issue):85-89


Abstract

Part 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 (New Zealand) provides that a person may only use an animal for the purposes of research, testing or teaching if the person is a code holder or is authorised by a code holder through an animal ethics committee.

Legal provisions such as the Animal Welfare Act are not intended to be, nor should they be used as, an insurance policy. The concept of submitting animal use protocols through an animal ethics committee “just in case” is an abuse of legal process and involves both the applicant and the animal ethics committee in misuse of time and expense.

Part 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 embodies the legal provisions of the 1984 amendment to the Animals Protection Act 1984 and practices that developed until 1998. Where Part 6 of the Act does not apply to a particular animal use Part 1 will apply. This paper focuses on determining which part of the Act applies to specific animal use in research, testing and teaching and provides a guide to determining when low level (in terms of suffering) use of animals in research, testing or teaching must or may not require animal ethics committee approval.

 





Link to journal: ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation