Animal rights get a boost. (News).The revised legislation that came into effect on April 1 takes into account how society has changed its views on domestic animals. In the past, pets had no legal status. But last year, parliament chose to follow the lead of animal-rights campaigners and accepted that animals were not simply objects or things, but had feelings. The legislative changes mainly apply to pets, and no special provisions have been set out for animals used in scientific tests. Federal laws already cover the use of animals in experiments Lengthy Battle The law's introduction represents the end of a lengthy battle for some animal-rights movements animal-rights movement, diverse individuals and groups concerned with protecting animals from perceived abuse or misuse. Supporters are specifically concerned with the use of animals for medical and cosmetics testing, the killing of animals for furs, hunting for . "We were pleased with these changes after spending ten years demanding them," said Gieri Bolliger, a lawyer from the Animal Rights Foundation. However, not everybody agrees that the legislation represents major change. "It's nothing more than a cosmetic cosmetic /cos·met·ic/ (koz-met´ik) 1. pertaining to cosmesis. 2. a beautifying substance or preparation. cos·met·ic n. change," said Andreas Trosch of the Federal Justice Office. "We have just clarified the rules and adapted the law to our times." The new law doesn't go as far as to grant legal rights to animals. "An animal can't for example, inherit To receive property according to the state laws of intestate succession from a decedent who has failed to execute a valid will, or, where the term is applied in a more general sense, to receive the property of a decedent by will. inherit v. something from its owner," Bolliger said. Ownership The modified legislation sets out new rules concerning the ownership of pets. The beneficiary beneficiary Person or entity (e.g., a charity or estate) that receives a benefit from something (e.g., a trust, life-insurance policy, or contract). A primary beneficiary receives proceeds from a trust or insurance policy before any other. of a will must now take care of the deceased deceased 1) adj. dead. 2) n. the person who has died, as used in the handling of his/her estate, probate of will and other proceedings after death, or in reference to the victim of a homicide (as: "The deceased had been shot three times. person's domestic animals, if necessary setting aside part of the inheritance inheritance, in law inheritance, in law: see heir. inheritance, in biology inheritance, in biology: see heredity. inheritance Devolution of property on an heir or heirs upon the death of its owner. to cover the costs, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Trosch. When a couple separates, the right of ownership will go to the person considered best able to care for the animal. In another change, the owner of a lost animal will have just two months to claim his or her pet back, as against five years previously. The cantons are expected to set up within the next year a special unit to help identify owners. Another measure introduced on April 1 may prove to be more of a headache headache Pain in the upper portion of the head. Episodic tension headaches are the most common, usually causing mild to moderate pain on both sides. They result from sustained contraction of face and neck muscles, often due to fatigue, stress, or frustration. for Swiss courts. Pet owners can now claim "emotional" damages from the person who kills or maims their favourite animal Damages Until now, any damages paid out were equivalent to the market value of the animal. Just how much an owner will be able to demand remains open. "The courts will have to evaluate the impact," says Bolliger. "The degree of individual responsibility has to be decided before any damages are paid out." The Swiss government is not planning to give animals any further rights at this time. Trosch says the government would rather concentrate on offering animals more protection. |
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