Animal Welfare Act 1999

Use of animals in research, testing, and teaching - Animal ethics committees

103: Report of non-compliance

You could also call this:

"Telling someone in charge about animal welfare rules being broken"

If you are on an animal ethics committee and you think the committee or the person in charge is not following the Animal Welfare Act, you can report this to the Director-General. You can do this if you think they are not following the Act, any rules made under the Act, or a code of ethical conduct. When you make a report, you are protected from being sued or getting in trouble, as long as you are telling the truth.

The Director-General will try not to tell anyone that you made the report, unless you say it is okay to share your name. They might share your name if they need to investigate what you reported, or if it is fair to the people involved.

The Director-General does not have to share your name under the Official Information Act 1982 or the Privacy Act 2020, which means your name can stay secret.

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This page was last updated on 19 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM51228.

Topics:

Environment and resources > Farming and fishingHealth and wellbeing > Public health

102: Procedure, or

"How an animal ethics committee makes its decisions and works"

104: Protection of members of animal ethics committees, or

"Law protects animal ethics committee members who try to do the right thing"

Part 6Use of animals in research, testing, and teaching
Animal ethics committees

103Report of non-compliance

Any member of an animal ethics committee who believes that the committee or the code holder is failing to comply in a material respect with this Act or with any regulations made under this Act or with the code of ethical conduct, may report the non-compliance to the Director-General.
A member of an animal ethics committee who makes a report under subsection (1) in good faith is not to be liable to any civil or criminal proceedings or to any disciplinary proceedings by reason of having made that report.
The Director-General must use his or her best endeavours not to disclose any information that might identify the person who made the report unless—
the person consents to the disclosure of that information; or
the Director-General reasonably believes that disclosure of the identifying information—
1. is essential to the investigation of the allegations made in the report; or
2. is essential having regard to the principles of natural justice.

Nothing in the Official Information Act 1982 or the Privacy Act 2020 requires the Director-General to disclose information that might identify the person who made the report.

Notes

Section 103(4): amended, on 1 December 2020, by section 217 of the Privacy Act 2020 (2020 No 31).