Environment Minister Duarte Cordeiro told the Lusa agency this Saturday that the government supports clarifying the law criminalizing the cruelty to companion animals so that there are no setbacks in this matter.
“Regardless of the decision that may be taken by the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of criminal provisions, the Government will accompany the Assembly of the Republic in the work of condensing the law as may be necessary to ensure that we do not miss condemning any barbaric acts towards animals,” — said Duarte Cordeiro.
Regarding the need for a constitutional review in this area, the Minister of the Environment said that a clarification of the law “for now is what may be necessary to overturn this possible decision of the Constitutional Court.”
“This business [da revisão constitucional] this is another topic that can be discussed in the relevant space of the Assembly of the Republic; there is nothing that would lead us to think about the need to resolve this issue,” he said.
Asked about demonstrations like the one in Lisbon this Saturday that brought together thousands of people to defend the criminalization of animal cruelty, Duarte Cordeiro said “they are very important” to defend beliefs and values about animals. welfare .
“We must raise animal welfare standards, and not vice versa, do not go back. Avoid failures that were difficult for the Portuguese to understand,” he said.
Duarte Cordeiro also recalled that a “general companion animal welfare regime, which provides for a review of the national system applicable to the abuse and abandonment of animals” will soon be submitted for public comment, and that the government will put forward a National Plan for the Control of Pets. Adoption with the inclusion of both measures in the State Budget for 2023.
This Saturday’s demonstration in Lisbon was convened by the Intervenção e Resgate Animal (IRA) organization after the Public Ministry filed a case with the Constitutional Court that the rule imposing this criminal liability is unconstitutional.
This is a rule criminalizing the fine or imprisonment of anyone who, without good reason, kills or abuses pets, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the Attorney General’s Office.
According to the note, the request for unconstitutionality arises after three decisions of the TC on this matter.
This Saturday, the President of the Republic defended that animal welfare should be “duly legislated”, recalling that Parliament could do so either “through ordinary legislation” or through the ongoing constitutional review process.
Speaking to Lusa, vice president of the PS parliamentary group, Pedro Delgado Alves, said the party is focused on making the protection of animal welfare “totally clear to everyone”, demonstrating an openness to legislative change and recalling that the socialist draft of the constitutional revision enshrines this right.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.