Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

ANIMAL WELFARE ACT 1992 - SECT 8

    (1)     A person commits an offence if—

        (a)     the person—

              (i)     hits an animal; or

              (ii)     kicks an animal; or

              (iii)     throws, or otherwise projects, something at an animal and hits the animal; and

        (b)     the action causes, or is likely to cause, the animal injury, pain, stress or death.

Maximum penalty: 25 penalty units.

    (2)     An offence against this section is a strict liability offence.

    (3)     This section does not apply to—

        (a)     a jockey using a whip on a horse in accordance with a rule of racing; or

        (b)     a rider of a horse reasonably using a whip, or the rider's foot, on the horse as part of an equestrian activity; or

        (c)     an animal handling practice approved by the Minister.

Note     The defendant has an evidential burden in relation to the matters mentioned in s (3) (see Criminal Code

, s 58).

    (4)     An approval is a disallowable instrument.

Note     A disallowable instrument must be notified under the Legislation Act

.

    (5)     In this section:

"rule of racing" means a rule made under the Racing Act 1999

, section 19 or section 25.