{"id":157683,"date":"2026-08-06T01:49:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T08:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=157683"},"modified":"2026-08-06T01:49:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T08:49:44","slug":"animal-welfare-bill-2026-a-civilizational-imperative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/08\/06\/animal-welfare-bill-2026-a-civilizational-imperative\/","title":{"rendered":"Animal Welfare Bill 2026 – A Civilizational Imperative"},"content":{"rendered":"

Senaka Weeraratna<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Observations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern legislation to govern Animal Welfare in Sri Lanka is a sine qua non. A Civilizational imperative. It can no longer be sidelined as has been practiced in the past on the ground that matters addressing human needs must always have priority over animal needs. Unfortunately, this was the experience of the well-planned and well-drafted Animal Welfare Bill released by the Law Commission in 2006. It was the most comprehensive document prepared over a period of six years (2000 \u2013 2006) after an extensive study and examination of laws of other Jurisdictions, during the drafting stage with Animal Welfare as its only focus. It became a political football soon after its release.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interference by various people representing vested interests exploiting animals, changing\/adding\/deleting key Clauses over the years to primarily provide trade benefits over and above the welfare of the animals led to the backslide of the Animal Welfare Bill.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the attempt to enact a New Animal Welfare Bill to replace the archaic and obsolete legislation i.e., the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, No. 13 of 1907 is indeed commendable, the failure to incorporate an up-to-date legal framework containing modern standards particularly on conditions surrounding slaughter up to the final moments of a live animal, would continue to slur Sri Lanka\u2019s international image.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new AW Bill retains the applicability of the 1893 Butcher\u2019s Ordinance with all its obnoxious and medieval methods of slaughter without consideration of bringing any improvement to the welfare of the animals at the time of passage in the slaughterhouse and time of slaughter. This is totally unacceptable. Slaughter of an animal must be subject to strict regulation in line with modern standards found in, for example, Spain, Germany and Belgium, and in line with the main object of the AWB \u2013 Clause 2a<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

a)<\/strong>     <\/strong>foster kindness, compassion, and responsible behavior towards animals and secure the protection, welfare and wellbeing of animals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the new Bill (2026) contains significant contradictions and ambiguities that will render most acts of cruelty to animals not legally definable and will obstruct State and public rescue operations to save threatened animals or animals in danger difficult.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.     Clause 19 is the ugly duckling of the entire Animal Welfare Bill (2026). It is tantamount to a blatant negation of the right to protection for all animals that is usually at the heart of credible Animal Welfare legislation in any part of the world.  In the 2026 version, the AWB guarantees at the commencement of the legislation the right to protection of all animals but with a sleight of hand excludes certain species of animals totally, including both quadrupeds and bipeds, which are of economic value from such protection. Even an iota of protection from legislation. No country in the world has such draconian draft legislation directed towards some categories of animals, defined as food animals, who are making the supreme sacrifice of their dear lives for the benefit of humans without even a modicum of expression of gratitude from the human consumers of their flesh. This is a reversal of morality that Sri Lanka once took pride in and led to people of neighboring countries calling the Sinhalese \u2018Aryavamsa\u2019, (which means Noble Race\u201d). Ancient rulers made animal protection and welfare part of the law and public administration. The Buddhist principles of metta<\/em> (loving-kindness) and karuna<\/em> (compassion) shaped daily life. People avoided harming living creatures, setting a high moral standard admired by others even in neighbouring countries. This high moral standing and unique identity of the ancient Sinhalese was deeply rooted in several historical practices:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep Roots of Animal Welfare in ancient Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n