By Dr Steven White, Griffith Law School
What role should government play in the protection of farm animals? This is the essential question which will be addressed by David Robinson Simon in the 2017 Voiceless Law Lecture, hosted by Griffith Law School. The question is an important one, since farm animals have an intrinsic moral worth, based on their sentience and cognitive abilities, justifying government intervention to protect their well-being.
The evidence in Australia is that governments at a state and federal level are failing to properly address the needs of farm animals. The federal government has retreated from coordinating a nationally consistent approach to protection, farm industry groups dominate the setting of standards for farm animal protection, and animal welfare science research is largely industry-driven. Animal welfare is very poorly resourced, compromising meaningful compliance monitoring and enforcement. The key government regulators – generally agriculture departments – are hopelessly conflicted: on the
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