Animals (Artificial Insemination) Act, 1955 (No. 33)

Animals (Artificial Insemination) Act, 1955 NO. 33 NO. 33 ANIMALS (ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION) ACT, 1955 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS SECTION 1. Application of Act. 2. Sale, import and export of semen. 3. Artificial insemination. 4. Application for permit. 5. Powers of inspection. 6. Offences and penalties. 7. Regulations. 8. Interpretation. . NO. 33 ANIMALS (ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION) ACT, 19551 AN ACT to provide for the control of artificial insemination of animals and for related matters. 1. Application of Act This Act does not apply (a) to the collection of semen which is used exclusively for the insemination of animals which belongs to the owner of the animal from which the semen is collected, and (b) to the Director of Veterinary Services or any other public officer when acting under and in accordance with an authority given to the public officer by the Director of Veterinary Services. 2. Sale, import and export of semen A person shall not collect, sell, import or export semen from an animal except under, and in accordance with, the conditions contained in a permit issued under section 4. 3. Artificial insemination A person shall not artificially inseminate an animal except under, and in accordance with, the conditions contained in a permit issued under section 4. 1. This Act was enacted as the Animals (Artificial Insemination) Ordinance, 1955 (No. 33 of 1955). The date of commencement is 17th December, 1958. [Issue 1] 11-1101 NO. 33 Animals (Artificial Insemination) Act, 1955 4. Application for permit (1) An application for a permit for the collection, sale, import or export of animal semen or to carry out artificial insemination shall be made to the Minister in the prescribed form. (2) The Minister shall consider an application made under subsection (1) and may issue a permit in the prescribed form. (3) The permit may contain the conditions that the Minister thinks fit. (4) The Minister may, by executive instrument, delegate the powers conferred by subsection (2) to an officer of the Department of Animal Health of a rank not below that of veterinary officer. 5. Powers of inspection An officer of the Department of Animal Health of rank not below that of veterinary officer and a public officer authorised in writing by that officer may, at all reasonable times, enter any premises, at or in which there is or is suspected to be kept, semen or at or in which there is reason to believe that semen is being collected, or that insemination is being carried out; inspect any premises, or an animal, equipment, semen or any other article in or on the premises, which is used or suspected to be intended for use in the collection of semen or insemination, and demand from the person in charge of the premises an information regarding the animal, equipment, semen or any other article; examine the books and the documents in or on the premises, which on rea sonable grounds, relate to the animal, equipment, semen or any other article or the collection of semen or insemination and make copies of or take ex tracts from those books and documents; demand from the owner or custodian of any of the books or documents an explanation regarding any entry in the books or documents; seize an animal, equipment, semen, any book, document or any other article found in or on the premises, which may afford evidence of an offence under this Act; inspect an operation carried out in or on the premises, in connection with the collection of semen or insemination and demand from the person in charge of the operation information regarding the operation. 6. Offences and penalties (j) (e) (d) (c) (b) (a) (1) A person who (a) contravenes or fails to comply with the provision of section 2 or 3, (b) hinders or obstructs an officer referred to in section 5 in the exercise of the powers under that section, or refuses on demand, to give information to that officer in the exercise of those powers or knowingly furnishes false infor mation to that officer, or [Issue 1] II - 1102 NO. 33 Animals (Artificial insemination) Act, 1955 (c) knowingly makes, in an application for a permit under section 4, a statement which is false in a material particular, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred penalty units or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or to both the fine and the imprisonment. (2) On conviction for an offence committed under subsection (1), the Court may order the forfeiture of the semen, equipment or animal used in the commission of the offence and, on the order being made, the Director of Veterinary Services shall take possession of the article or animal and dispose of it as the Director thinks fit. 7. Regulations The Minister2 may, by legislative instrument make Regulations in respect of (a) the animal or class of animal to which this Act applies; (b) the form of the application for a permit under section 3 and the form of a permit issued under that section; (c) the requirements to be complied with in the collection, treatment, packing, storing, covering, importing and exporting of semen; (d) the manner and method of artificially inseminating animals; and (e) any other matter which the Minister considers necessary or expedient to prescribe for the achievement of the purpose of this Act. 8. Interpretation In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, "animal" means cattle, sheep, goats, horses or pigs or any other class of animal as prescribed by the Regulations; "insemination" means the artificial insemination of an animal; "Minister" means the Minister responsible for Food and Agriculture; "premises" includes a place, a vehicle or vessel; "regulations" means Regulations made under this Act; "semen" means animal semen. 2. Amended by C.A. 8 of 1960. 11- 1103 [Issue 1]