JUSTICE FOR ANIMALS yesterday took its bone of contention to States members with a protest outside the Royal Court. About 14 people lobbied members on the steps – and handed them bone-shaped dog biscuits – in an attempt to get new animal-welfare legislation given a higher priority.

‘I’ve got one simple question for them,’ said protester Trevor Hockey.

‘Will it take them as long to put in paid parking as it will to put in new animal laws?’

It was the second organised demonstration held outside the court buildings in a month aimed at seeing animal welfare legislation – passed in 2003 and currently with the Law Officers – enacted.

The protesters said that the law, which is due to be drafted this year, should be accorded a higher priority than its current ‘normal’ status.

Janet Gambier said: ‘Since we started this campaign, we have had so many phone calls and people coming up and saying, ﾓthe States has the cheek to take our dog tax, but it won’t protect themﾔ.

‘Where does the tax money go? We would like some answers.’

St Sampson’s deputy Ron Le Moignan said that time and experience had shown that existing animal-welfare laws were inadequate.

‘I tried to do something many years ago when I was a deputy in St Martin’s and was never able to achieve the objective because the committee responsible in those days said it was on the agenda, that they would deal with it and that it was coming through the system. Of course, it has not,’ said Deputy Le Moignan.

He said that the perceived delay in passing the new laws was indicative of the amount of pressure that the legislation drafters were under. The recent protests had brought the matter to a head, he said, but that workload was a long-term issue.

Vale deputy Geoff Mahy accepted a bone for his dog and agreed that the new laws needed to be put in place as soon as possible.

‘I would prefer that the drafting of the laws was done sooner rather than later, but it is a question of resources – both human and financial,’ said Deputy Mahy.

He said it would be unlikely that the States could bring in additional draftsmen.

‘The legislative draftsmen are highly-trained professionals and they need to be experienced in the workings of Guernsey laws. As a small jurisdiction, it is difficult for us to employ more,’ he said.

West District deputy David De Lisle said that there was a massive amount of legislation coming through – it was a matter of prioritising.

‘The Law Officers can only do so much.’

He said it would take more draftsmen, but the States was trying to move away from employing more people.

Culture and Leisure minister Peter Sirett said: ‘I think that the courts are quite able to deal with incidents of animal cruelty, as they have shown quite succinctly in the past.’

And he said that the new laws had been adequately timetabled.

‘I’m sure that it will take its place in the queue.’