October 2015
ABOUT THE CANADIAN MUSLIM LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
The Canadian Muslims Lawyers Association (CMLA) was founded in 1998 by a group
of Canadian Muslim lawyers. The CMLA is a nationwide organization based in Ontario, with
over 300 members across Canada and with active chapters in Ontario and Quebec.
The CMLA is focused on four key areas of engagement. First, the CMLA serves as an
advocate on select issues of importance to Canadian Muslim lawyers, Canadian Muslims
and the broader Canadian community. The CMLA has appeared as a public interest
intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition, the CMLA actively participates
in the discourse on human rights, civil liberties and national security law and policy. In this
regard, the CMLA has made submissions to, and testified before National Assembly
committees and Parliamentary committees examining civil liberties, national security, and
human rights on numerous occasions since 2001. Second, the CMLA educates its members
and the broader Canadian Muslim communities on law topics of interest. Third, the CMLA
provides peer support by providing law students and junior lawyers with mentorship and
professional development seminars. Fourth, the CMLA helps build professional
relationships among Canadian Muslim lawyers and between Canadian Muslim lawyers and
members of other legal organizations.
More information on the CMLAs history, mandate, and current work can be found
at: www.cmla-acam.ca.
1
Introduction
The Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) is pleased to contribute to the
study of Bill 54, An Act to Improve the Legal Situation of Animals, 2015 (Bill 54), which
amends the Civil Code of Qubec (Civil Code) and enacts the Animal Welfare and Safety Act
(AWSA).1 This submission represents an overview of our essential insights and concerns
on Bill 54, but should not be seen as exhaustive of our position.
For many years, Qubec has held the unenviable position as the province with the
weakest animal protection legislation.2 In light of that, Bill 54 is a step in the right
direction on animal welfare.
Animals are among the most vulnerable beings in Qubec and Canada, relying for
protection from cruelty and abuse on a handful of legal protections that are handicapped by
loopholes, weak enforcement and scant resources. While Bill 54 is generally a positive
development, it should be the first step in a course of legal reform that will truly protect the
welfare and dignity of all animals in Qubec.
While supportive of measures seeking to improve protection and dignity of animals,
we are concerned by some of the discourse associated with Bill 54. We refer in particular
to comments attributed to Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis on the halal method of
slaughtering animals used for food. Media reports suggest that he believes some halal
slaughter methods may be inconsistent with Bill 54. Such discourse reflects a
misunderstanding, not only of halal requirements, but also of the broader imperatives of
Islamic ethics where animals are concerned.
st
Bill 54, An act to improve the legal situation of animals, 1 Sess, 41th Leg, Quebec, 2015.
2015 Canadian Animal Protection Laws Rankings, Animal Legal Defense Fund, July 2015, online:
http://aldf.org/press-room/press-releases/2014-canadian-animal-protection-laws-rankings/. See also:
http://aldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015-Canadian-Rankings-Report.pdf
2
Sentience
We are encouraged by the proposed amendment in Article 898.1 of the Civil Code,
which recognizes that animals are not things but sentient beings. This change puts into law
something we all know and recognize to be a fact, whether through common sense, or
scientific observation.
While recognizing sentience is positive, we are concerned that the additional text of
the amendment may mute the legal significance of this change. In particular, proposed
Article 898.1 of the Civil Code goes on to say: the provisions of this Code concerning
property nonetheless apply to animals.3
Reiterating the property status of animals significantly dilutes the impact of
recognizing animal sentience. In fact, proposed Article 898.1 of the Civil Code now contains
a contradictory tension with the economic interests of those who use animals. We strongly
encourage the Qubec National Assembly to revisit the proposed amendment on sentience
and property to clarify that animals are not simply property, but beings that have
significant legal and moral interests that matter.
3
4
section 7(1) of the AWSA significantly erode protections the proposed legislation purports
to promote:
Despite sections 5 and 6, the following activities involving animals are allowed,
to the extent that they are not otherwise practices or procedures that are
prohibited by law or by regulation and they are carried on in accordance with
generally recognized rules:
(1) agricultural, teaching or scientific research activities5
Sections 5 and 6 of the proposed AWSA outline animal welfare criteria and prohibit
putting an animal in distress, which are all laudable objectives that we support. However,
the broad exemption in section 7(1) for agricultural, teaching and scientific practices that
are generally recognized creates undefined loopholes that are given content by the very
parties the proposed legislation seeks to regulate with respect to animal practices and use.
In fact, by exempting generally recognized agricultural practices, the
overwhelming majority of animals in Qubec may be left outside the protection of the
AWSA. This exemption raises important questions, including whether debeaking, the use of
confinement systems (battery cages, veal crates and gestation stalls) and castration without
anesthetic are generally recognized agricultural practices, and therefore lawful. We
recommend that the proposed AWSA and its regulations make animal interests a priority
and tightly limit the scope of what are accepted as generally recognized agricultural
practices. As a start, regulations outlining generally recognized agricultural practices
should prohibit practices such as debeaking, the use of confinement systems (battery cages,
veal crates and gestation stalls), and castration without anesthetic. Such a regulation would
add substance to AWSAs animal protection aspirations.
AWSA, s. 7(1).
Quebec animal welfare bill hearings begin at National Assembly, CBC News, September 14, 2015, online:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-54-quebec-animal-welfare-national-assembly-1.3226924;
Labattage rituel mieux encadr pour viter la souffrance des animaux, Journal de Montral, September 14,
2015, online: http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/09/13/labattage-rituel-mieux-encadr
Octobre 2015
Introduction
LAssociation Canadienne des Avocats Musulmans (l ACAM) est heureuse de
contribuer ltude du projet de loi 54, Loi visant lamlioration de la situation juridique de
lanimal (le Projet de loi), qui vise amender le Code civil du Qubec (le Code civil) et
dicter la Loi sur le bien-tre et la scurit de lanimal (la LBSA)1. La prsente soumission
reprsente un survol gnral de nos principaux commentaires et inquitudes concernant le
Projet de loi, et ne constitue donc pas le dtail exhaustif de notre position sur la question.
Depuis de nombreuses annes, le Qubec dtient le titre peu glorieux de pire
province concernant les lois pour la protection des animaux2. A cet gard, le Projet de loi
est un pas dans la bonne direction.
Les animaux font partie des tres les plus vulnrables au Canada, leur seule
protection contre la cruaut et les mauvais traitements reposent sur quelques protections
juridiques dont lefficacit est mise mal par les lacunes inhrentes ces lois, leur mauvaise
application et des ressources insuffisantes. Bien que le Projet de loi constitue de faon
gnrale une avance positive, nous esprons quil ne sera que la premire tape dune
rforme lgislative plus profonde qui permettra une relle protection du bien-tre et de la
dignit de tous les animaux aux Qubec.
Tout en soutenant les mesures qui visent amliorer la protection et la dignit des
animaux, nous sommes proccups par certains discours associs au Projet de Loi, plus
particulirement certains commentaires attribus par les mdias au Ministre de
lagriculture Pierre Paradis, au sujet de la mthode halal dabattage des animaux qui seront
ensuite consomms. Le Ministre Paradis semble davis que certaines mthodes dabattage
halal sont incompatibles avec le Projet de loi. Un tel discours reflte une mauvaise
1 PL54, Loi visant lamlioration sur la situation juridique de lanimal, 1sess, 41 lg, Qubec, 2015.
2 2015 Canadian Animal Protection Laws Rankings, Animal Legal Defense Fund, July 2015, en ligne:
comprhension non seulement des critres lis aux mthodes dabattage halal, mais aussi
des exigences plus larges de lthique islamique relative aux animaux.
Sensibilit
Nous accueillons favorablement lamendement propos larticle 898.1 du Code
civil, qui reconnait que les animaux ne sont pas des biens, mais des tres dous de
sensibilit. Cette modification inclura dans le Code civil un fait reconnu par tous, que ce soit
en vertu du simple bon sens ou de constats scientifiques.
Bien que lajout officiel du caractre sensible des animaux soit un lment positif,
nous avons certaines rserves quant la suite de lamendement propos, qui risque
daffecter limpact juridique de cette reconnaissance. Larticle 898.1 du Code civil tel que
propos, poursuit en effet en prcisant que les dispositions du prsent code relatives aux
biens leur sont nanmoins applicables.3
Ritrer le statut de proprit des animaux restreint de manire significative
limpact de la reconnaissance de la sensibilit animale. De fait, larticle 898.1 du Code civil
contiendra prsent une tension contradictoire avec les intrts conomiques de ceux qui
font usage des animaux. Nous suggrons de retravailler lamendement propos sur la
sensibilit et la proprit afin de clarifier que les animaux ne sont pas de simples biens,
mais des tres vivants avec des besoins lgaux et moraux qui ne peuvent tre ngligs.
5 LBSA, Art. 7(1).
6 Quebec animal welfare bill hearings begin at National Assembly, CBC News, 14 septembre 2015, en ligne:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-54-quebec-animal-welfare-national-assembly-1.3226924;
Labattage rituel mieux encadr pour viter la souffrance des animaux, Journal de Montral, 14 septembre
2015, en ligne : http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/09/13/labattage-rituel-mieux-encadr