Description
The “Let Them Have Their Rights" project concentrates on monitoring (district courts, prosecution offices, police stations in 16 provinces with regard to cases involving crimes against animals) and diagnosing the current status of legal protection of animals in Poland. This is the first project of its kind in Poland. Government policy and practice in the field of enforcing animal rights and enforcing criminal provisions contained in the Animal Protection Law has never been subject to public scrutiny. The project methodology includes: recruitment and training of 32 open observers of cases tried in courts, media monitoring, requests for public information submitted to courts, prosecutors and police, surveys among animal groups to understand their experience in monitoring this subject matter, developing a report and recommendations, publication of a brochure containing recommendations for improved performance of monitored institutions, media and MP offices, proposed changes in legislation, a press conference and an expert debate.
Summary of project results
"The issue of legal protection for animals has been present in the public discourse in Poland since 1997, when the Act on animal protection was passed. Unwanted situations resulting from deficient legal regulations met with social protests and debates. In 2011, marches against violence towards animals and insufficient use of legal regulations protecting animals took place. As a result, the Act on animal protection was amended. In social perception, convictions for maltreating animals are incommensurate with the offences. Government agencies conduct no analyses of the situation, and data presented are very incomplete, allowing for no reliable analysis of the use of the laws protecting animals. The aim of the project was to conduct monitoring of one third of all local courts of law and prosecutor offices, and police departments in Poland as to enforcement of the Act on animal protection. The analysis should fill the existing gap and become a tool to strengthen social pressure to protect animals more effectively. For the first time in Poland, monitoring of the judiciary and the police was led as to the enforcement of the Act on animal protection (observation of 21 court proceedings by open social observers, applications for access to public information sent to 349 institutions, Internet survey of individual persons and pro-animal NGOs, media monitoring), the report and recommendations were prepared, a paper containing results of the monitoring was published (600 copies), a conference presenting the results was organised, and an e-book on effective enforcement of the Act and an algorithm for activities of the police in cases of offences against animals were developed. The knowledge gathered and materials prepared during the project can be used by social organisations to create social space for discussing legal amendments and lobbying activities concerning amendments to the Act on animal protection. The project benefited social organisations active in animal protection, the judiciary, and the society in general. The partner of the project, the Association for Animal Protection Ekostaż, was responsible for the methodology of the monitoring, participated in its implementation, and processed the results of the monitoring to prepare the report and recommendations. Both organisations have cooperated for several years in legal protection of animals."
Summary of bilateral results