Introduction to veterinary

Ethics & Jurisprudence

Dr. Vinay Kumar Karna (BVSc & AH, 1998, MPPG, 2010)
West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences
Kolkata, India
 Objectives of the Lesson
At the end of the lesson, students will be able
to describe:

• Ethics and Jurisprudence

• Legal Duties of a Veterinarian Professional.
 Lesson Outline
• Defining Ethics & Jurisprudence
• Veterinary Jurisprudence
• Legal Duties of a Veterinarian
 Defining Ethics & Jurisprudence
1. Ethics

• the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.

• "neither metaphysics nor ethics is the home of religion"
• Synonym: moral code, morals, morality, moral stand, moral
principles, moral values, rights and
wrongs, principles, ideals, creed, credo, ethos, rules of
conduct, standards (of behaviour), virtues, dictates of
conscience
Source: Dictionary on website
Defining Ethics & Jurisprudence...
Defining Ethics & Jurisprudence...
 Defining Ethics & Jurisprudence...
2. Jurisprudence

2.1. the science or philosophy of law they have no

theories of jurisprudence but … decide each case
on its facts
—R. H. Bork
2.2

2.2.1. a system or body of law; e.g.

Roman jurisprudence, Labor jurisprudence
 Defining Ethics & Jurisprudence...
2.2.2. the course of court decisions as distinguished
from legislation and doctrine

• a tendency that has become apparent in

the jurisprudence of the American courts
—Bernard Schwartz

2.2.3. a department of law medical jurisprudence

 Veterinary Jurisprudence
Veterinary jurisprudence (juris prudentia, which
means "the study, knowledge, or science of law“)
refers to the science of the law as applied to the
practice of veterinary medicine and addresses,
inter alia,

• Principles of law of importance to members of the

veterinary profession as a whole in a given country.
• Animal disease and related regulatory laws and
their administration (including enforcement)
 Veterinary Jurisprudence...
• Food safety legislation
• Laws governing all issues relating to veterinary
medicines and biologicals
• Laws governing animal welfare, and animal
protection (legal actions to counter animal abuse)
• International legislations and conventions relevant
to veterinary practice. Examples include Codex
alimentarius, CITES, OIE , FAO and WHO.
Source: Dr Herbert Schneider Chairman: OIE ad hoc Group on Veterinary Services (OIE Sub-Regional
Seminar on Veterinary Legislation: Gaborone, Botswana, 31 October – 2 November 2011 )
 Veterinary Jurisprudence...
• Veterinary jurisprudence, Veterinary forensic
medicine and Veterinary legal medicine are
considered synonyms.
• pertains to the protection of animals and
unravelling crimes to them.
• makes understanding the Principles of Code and
ethics of Veterinary Profession.
 Veterinary Jurisprudence...
• It is essential for a veterinarian to well-known
about all the laws related to his previleges and
obligations to veterinary pratices.
• It is necessary for a veterinarians to have fair
knowledge of veterinary science to produce
evidence for vetero-legal cases.
• Therefore, a thorough knowledge of the legal
procedures in the criminal court is essential for the
veterinary practitioners.
 Veterinary Jurisprudence...
• The earliest known Legal Code was written about
about 1780 B.C. by Hammurabi, the ruler of
Bablyon and contains also the earliest known
regulation of veterinary service delivery.

• If a doctor of animals perform a serious operation on an

ass or an ox, and cure it, the owner shall pay the
surgeon one-sixth of a shekel as a fee (Paragraph 224).
• If he perform a serious operation on an ass or ox, and
kill it, he shall pay the owner one-fourth of its value
(Paragraph 225).
 Veterinary Jurisprudence...
• Veterinary Statutory Body ensures Good Veterinary
Governance (GVG).
• To ensure GVG, it needs laws pertaining to Veterinary
Services of a country
• Veterinary Laws drafted considering –
• Common law (Definitions of authority/actions, precedents,
interpretations),
• Customary law (Societal norms & values),
• Constitutional law (Fundamental Human Rights & Freedoms),
• Criminal law (Procedures, sanctions, appeals)
 Legal Duties of the Veterinarians
• Carry out post-mortem examination of vetero-legal
cases
• Investigating any kind of offences to the animals
• Investigating the case of frauds and adulteration
• Issuance of health certificate
• Preventing cruelty to the animals
 Legal Duties of the Veterinarians...
• Promotion of animal welfare
• Enforcement of laws related to eterinary services
• Preventing maiming (making an animal
permanently useless by using violence to the
animals)
• Preventing bestality