Antoine Goetschel
Encyclopedia
Antoine F. Goetschel is a Swiss
lawyer who has focused on animal rights law
. In cases involving animal abuse, he was appointed to defend the rights of the animal in question. He played a prominent role lobbying for the unsuccessful March 2010 Swiss referendum
which would have provided legal representation to all animals involved in Swiss court cases.
. In 2007 he was appointed by the canton government to represent the interests of animals in animal cruelty
cases. In this capacity, he attempts to insure that the Swiss animal protection laws, which are among the strictest in the world, are correctly enforced. Goetschel does not bring charges in this role, but rather focuses on explaining law, evaluating precedent, and appealing verdicts. He says that a third of his legal work is devoted to cases involving animals and a the rest of his time is spent in private practice. His work has been praised by Peter Singer
.
In 2011 the office of Zurich animal advocate was abolished and the canton veterinary office took charge of animal cruelty cases. Goetschel plans to continue to advocate for animal rights causes by writing books on the subject.
that was caught by an angler
. He made the case that the amount of time the angler had spent fighting the fish caused the fish to "suffer excessively." Although the court ruled against him, he is currently appealing the judgment. He has also prosecuted on behalf of fish that were used in a game show episode in which contestants attempted to catch them by hand, arguing that the contestants did not treat the fish with the dignity they deserved. He ultimately lost the case on a technicality.
. He later became a vegetarian and became active in the animal rights movement
. He has played a prominent role in lobbying for Swiss animal rights legislation. Although not officially a representative of the campaign, he devoted much of his time to lobbying on behalf of the March 2010 Swiss animal law referendum. Had it passed, it would have led to the Swiss government hiring other animal advocates in addition to Goetschel. He also lobbied on behalf of 2003 law which led to animals being treated as sentient
beings, rather than property, in Swiss law.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
lawyer who has focused on animal rights law
Animal law
Animal law is a combination of statutory and case law in which the nature—legal, social or biological—of nonhuman animals is an important factor. Animal law encompasses companion animals, wildlife, animals used in entertainment and animals raised for food and research...
. In cases involving animal abuse, he was appointed to defend the rights of the animal in question. He played a prominent role lobbying for the unsuccessful March 2010 Swiss referendum
Swiss referendum, March 2010
A referendum was held in Switzerland on 7 March 2010 on three topics:* a change to the minimum annuity which can be paid out by employee pension funds as part of the Swiss pension system ; in order to stabilise the pension system, payouts were to be reduced; the measure was rejected with 72.7%...
which would have provided legal representation to all animals involved in Swiss court cases.
Career
Goetschel serves as the animal advocate for the canton of ZurichCanton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
. In 2007 he was appointed by the canton government to represent the interests of animals in animal cruelty
Cruelty to animals
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse or animal neglect, is the infliction of suffering or harm upon non-human animals, for purposes other than self-defense. More narrowly, it can be harm for specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur, although opinions differ with...
cases. In this capacity, he attempts to insure that the Swiss animal protection laws, which are among the strictest in the world, are correctly enforced. Goetschel does not bring charges in this role, but rather focuses on explaining law, evaluating precedent, and appealing verdicts. He says that a third of his legal work is devoted to cases involving animals and a the rest of his time is spent in private practice. His work has been praised by Peter Singer
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
.
In 2011 the office of Zurich animal advocate was abolished and the canton veterinary office took charge of animal cruelty cases. Goetschel plans to continue to advocate for animal rights causes by writing books on the subject.
Notable Cases
Most of Goetschel's cases involve abuse of domestic pets, such as the case in which he secured a large fine against a woman who abandoned two kittens shortly after purchasing them. Goetschel has represented a variety of animals during his tenure as an animal lawyer, however. In February 2010, he argued on behalf of a pikeEsox
Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
that was caught by an angler
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
. He made the case that the amount of time the angler had spent fighting the fish caused the fish to "suffer excessively." Although the court ruled against him, he is currently appealing the judgment. He has also prosecuted on behalf of fish that were used in a game show episode in which contestants attempted to catch them by hand, arguing that the contestants did not treat the fish with the dignity they deserved. He ultimately lost the case on a technicality.
Animal Rights
Goetschel became interested in animal rights at age 23 after an accident left him temporarily unable to speak. This experience caused him to reflect on animal sufferingAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
. He later became a vegetarian and became active in the animal rights movement
Animal liberation movement
The animal-liberation movement, sometimes called the animal-rights movement, animal personhood, or animal-advocacy movement, is a social movement which seeks an end to the rigid moral and legal distinction drawn between human and non-human animals, an end to the status of animals as property, and...
. He has played a prominent role in lobbying for Swiss animal rights legislation. Although not officially a representative of the campaign, he devoted much of his time to lobbying on behalf of the March 2010 Swiss animal law referendum. Had it passed, it would have led to the Swiss government hiring other animal advocates in addition to Goetschel. He also lobbied on behalf of 2003 law which led to animals being treated as sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
beings, rather than property, in Swiss law.