ANIMAL
RIGHTS
Formally recognise animals as sentient beings in all legislation, building on the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022.
Grant limited legal personhood to highly intelligent animals (e.g., primates, cetaceans, cats, dogs, horses etc.) to afford them stronger protections against exploitation. Humans do not own Earth, we share it, and as our intelligence has made us uniquely self-aware and (in most cases) empathetic, it is our moral duty to care for the planet and its inhabitants for future generations.
Prohibit live exports of animals for slaughter or fattening, replacing them with a carcass-only trade.
End factory farming abuses by mandating cage-free systems, higher welfare standards, and slower-growing poultry breeds.
Ban male chick culling and keeping hens in cages. They should be free-range at a minimum with heated indoor shelters for them to use in winter.
Ban finishing feed lots for cattle and require dairy cows to have 100% outdoor pasture with heated indoor shelters for them to use in winter.
Ban fur farming & imports, alongside foie gras, shark fin, and other inherently cruel products.
Ban pig tail docking and castration with no anaesthetic, give them free-range space as well for 100% of lifetime (barring disease outbreaks) with optional heated indoor shelters for them to use in winter if they want to.
Outlaw shock collars, glue traps, and other inhumane devices.
Ban animal shelters that kill animals - No-Kill only
Mandate CCTV in all slaughterhouses with independent monitoring to prevent abuse.
Phase out intensive farming, requiring higher space allowances, environmental enrichment, and outdoor access.
Subsidise plant-based farming transitions to encourage sustainable agriculture.
Increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty (currently 5 years under the Animal Welfare Act 2006) to 10 years, aligning with Northern Ireland.
Create an Animal Protection Police Unit (similar to the Wildlife Crime Unit) to investigate abuse cases.
Lifetime bans on owning animals for repeat offenders.
Strengthen the Hunting Act 2004 by closing loopholes (e.g., "trail hunting" disguises).
Ban snares & cruel traps, replacing them with humane alternatives.
Expand the Right to Roam while ensuring wildlife corridors are protected.
Mandatory licensing for breeders with strict limits on litters to curb puppy mills.
Ban the sale of pets in shops, promoting adoption-first models.
Prohibit extreme breeding (e.g. flat-faced dogs like pugs) that cause suffering.
Accelerate the phase-out of animal testing by increasing funding for alternatives (organoids, AI models).
Ban testing for cosmetics & household products (extending the 1998 ban to ingredients).
Introduce animal welfare education in schools to foster empathy and teach children about how to care for them.
Government-led campaigns promoting plant-based diets and humane consumer choices.
Compensation schemes for farmers transitioning to higher welfare systems.
Independent Animal Welfare Commission to review policies without industry bias.
Push for stronger international animal welfare treaties post-Brexit.
Ban imports of goods produced via cruel methods (e.g., chlorinated chicken, fur).
1. RIGHT TO BODILY LIBERTY & FREEDOM FROM CONFINEMENT
Ban unnecessary captivity, prohibiting keeping intelligent animals in zoos, aquariums, or circuses unless for conservation or rehabilitation.
Habitat protection and ensuring access to natural or near-natural environments e.g. sanctuaries over cages.
No forced labour or use in entertainment e.g. dolphin shows, elephant rides.
2. RIGHT TO LIFE & PROTECTION FROM UNJUST KILLING
Ban unnecessary euthanasia: Require ethical justification (e.g. terminal illness, not just cost or inconvenience).
Restrict hunting and poaching with stricter penalties for killing cognitively-advanced species.
No scientific testing without informed consent from their owners/representatives, similar to primate research bans in the EU.
3. RIGHT TO PHYSICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING
Protection from abuse & neglect, with legal consequences for harming them that go beyond basic animal cruelty laws.
Recognition of their social needs and mandating companionship for social species (e.g. no solitary dolphins).
Environmental enrichment that gives the animal mental stimulation (e.g. puzzles for octopuses, space for elephants).
4. LIMITED LEGAL REPRESENTATION
Guardianship models where humans act as legal guardians, like for children or incapacitated persons.
Standing in court with NGOs or advocates able to sue on their behalf (e.g. the Nonhuman Rights Project in the U.S.).
Independent oversight where review boards assess their treatment in research or captivity.
5. PROHIBITION OF COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION
No breeding for profit and restrict the sale of intelligent animals (e.g. great apes, elephants).
No more use in advertising/entertainment, like the 2016 U.S. National Institutes of Health retirement of lab chimps.
6. RECOGNITION OF FAMILIAL & SOCIAL BONDS
Protect their family units by not allowing separation of mothers and offspring e.g. as seen in orca captivity bans.
Right to mourn: Allow rituals e.g. elephants grieving dead kin.
7. MIGRATION & TERRITORIAL RIGHTS FOR WILD ANIMALS
Legal recognition and protection of migratory paths (e.g. elephants’ traditional routes).
No displacement without cause: Limits on habitat destruction for development.
8. POST-MORTEM RIGHTS
Ban on keeping remains and trophy displays (e.g. ivory, bones) without cultural exemptions.
Respect for remains: Ethical handling of corpses (observed in some Indigenous laws).
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EXISTING PRECEDENTS
Spain's Parliament granted some statutory rights to apes that were previously human-only in 2008, and the Spanish government proposed a Great Apes Law in 2024 which would grant basic rights to great apes.
An Argentinian judge recognized an orangutan, Sandra, as a "non-human person" entitled to sanctuary in 2015.
Mexico banned all marine mammal shows in 2025; Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, Norway, Russia, and Slovenia all have some form of whale or dolphin captivity ban.
Some state-level courts in the USA have debated habeas corpus for elephants (e.g. Happy the Elephant case).
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