OpenLegislation

Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937

Edw8and1Geo6/1 c. 59 · Enacted 30 July 1937 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Not fully up to date. 1 change made by later legislation has not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 6 April 2007.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 1(3)words substitutedCriminal Justice Act 2003 Sch. 26 para. 9

An Act to prohibit the exhibition or distribution of cinematograph films in connection with the production of which suffering may have been caused to animals; and for purposes connected therewith.

[30th July 1937]

Contents

  1. 1Prohibition of films involving cruelty to animals.
  2. 2Short title and extent.

1Prohibition of films involving cruelty to animals.

(1)

No person shall exhibit to the public, or supply to any person for public exhibition (whether by him or by another person), any cinematograph film (whether produced in Great Britain or elsewhere) if in connection with the production of the film any scene represented in the film was organised or directed in such a way as to involve the cruel infliction of pain or terror on any animal or the cruel goading of any animal to fury.

(2)

In any proceedings brought under this Act in respect of any film, the court may (without prejudice to any other mode of proof) infer from the film as exhibited to the public or supplied for public exhibition, as the case may be, that a scene represented in the film as so exhibited or supplied was organised or directed in such a way as to involve the cruel infliction of pain or terror on an animal or the cruel goading of an animal to fury, but (whether the court draws such an inference or not) it shall be a defence for the defendant to prove that he believed, and had reasonable cause to believe, that no scene so represented was so organised or directed.

C1(3)

Any person contravening the provisions of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding F1level 3 on the standard scale, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

(4)

For the purposes of this Act—

(a)

a cinematograph film shall be deemed to be exhibited to the public when, and only when, it is exhibited in a place to which for the time being members of the general public as such have access, whether on payment of money or otherwise, and the expression “public exhibition” shall be construed accordingly; and

F2(b)

in relation to England and Wales, the expression “animal” means a “protected animal” within the meaning of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

F3; and

(c)

in relation to Scotland, the expression “animal” means a protected animal within the meaning of section 17 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 11)

2Short title and extent.

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.

(2)

This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.