A Bill to amend the Animals Act 1971 to limit strict liability for damage done by animals
The Bill aims to reduce the number of instances under the Animals Act 1971 when, following an accident involving certain types of animal, an owner of the animal is strictly liable (that is, liable to pay compensation regardless of whether there is any fault on the owner’s part). The Bill was drafted in conjunction with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
House of Commons
7 February 2011
May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.
This Bill would alter the Animals Act 1971 to limit the strict liability of animal owners in certain accidents. It aims to reduce cases where an owner has to pay compensation regardless of fault, by applying fault-based criteria or other conditions in some circumstances. The change has been developed in consultation with DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
The bill is currently at the 2nd reading in the House of Commons. The documented stages show a first reading on 5 December 2007 and a second reading on 14 March 2008, with no later stages listed in the provided documents.
Generated 21 February 2026
5 Dec 2007
14 Mar 2008
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
