Animals (Control of Experiments) Act (Cap. 8)

CHAPTER 8 ANIMALS (CONTROL OF EXPERIMENTS) ACT Act 9 of 1957. [10th June, 1957] Act 3 of 1959. S.I. 95 of 1975. ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Act 23 of 1976. SECTION 1. Short title. 2. Interpretation. 3. Experiments only to be performed by licensed persons. 4. Experiments not to be performed for purposes of attaining manual skill. 5. Restriction on performance of experiments for illustration of lectures. 6. Restrictions upon performances of experiments by licensee. 7. Grant of licence. 8. Permits. 9. Special permits. 10. Records and inspection. 11. Returns. 12. Regulations. 13. Revocation of licence or permit. 14. Penalty. 15. Restriction on prosecution of licensee. Short title. 1 This Act may be cited as the Animals (Control of 3/23/1976. Experiments) Act. Interpretation. 2 In this Act 3/23/1976. "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. Experiments 3(1) No person except a licensee shall perform any only to be experiment. performed by licensed (2) No licensee shall perform any experiment except in persons. accordance with the terms of his licence and subject to the 3/23/1976. restrictions imposed by this Act. Experiments 4. No licensee shall perform any experiment for the not to be purpose of attaining manual skill. performed for purposes of attaining manual skills. Restriction 5 No licensee shall perform any experiment for the of perfor- purpose of illustrating any lecture at any Hospital, Medical mance of School, College or any other academic institution unless he is experiments the holder of a teaching permit under this Act, and unless the for illustra- experiment is of a class specified in such permit and is tion of performed in accordance with the terms of such permit. lectures. 3/23/1976. Restrictions 6(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 5 no licensee upon per- shall perform any experiment except formances of experiments (a) for the purpose of the advancement by new by licensee. discovery of physiological knowledge, or of any 6/3/1959. knowledge which will be useful for saving or 3/23/1976. 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 anaesthetic 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. Grant of 7(1) The Minister may grant a licence to any person to licence. perform any experiment for any purpose specified in such S.I. 95/1975. licence during such period subject to such conditions in 3/23/1976. addition to the conditions specified in this Act as he may think fit. (2) It shall be a condition of any licence granted under subsection (1) that any experiment performed pursuant to such licence shall be performed at such place as may be specified in such licence. Permits. 8(1) Where the Minister is satisfied that it is absolutely 3/23/1976. 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. Special 9(1) Where the Minister is satisfied that the object of any permits. 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 authorising 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. Records and 10(1)Every licensee shall keep, in such form as may be inspections. prescribed, records of all painful experiments performed by 3/23/1976. him. (2) Every licensee shall permit any person authorised in writing by the Minister to inspect any records kept by him at any time between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day other than a Sunday or public holiday. (3) Every licensee shall permit any person authorised 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 licence for the performance of experiments. Returns. 11 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. Regulations. 12(1)The Minister may make regulations generally for the S.I. 95/1975. better carrying out of the provisions of this Act. 3/23/1976. (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 xperiments performed by any licensee and for the rendering of returns in relation to any experiments performed under this Act. Revocation 13 It shall be a condition of every licence or permit of licence granted under this Act that such licence or permit may be or permit. revoked at any time by the person granting it on his being 3/23/1976. satisfied that such licence or permit ought to be revoked. Penalty. 14 Every person who acts in contravention of any of the 3/23/1976. 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. Restriction 15 A prosecution under this Act against a licensee shall on not be instituted except by or with the consent of the prosecution Attorney-General. of licensee. 3/23/1976. NO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION.