title: "Unnecessary suffering": the cornerstone of animal protection legislation considered.
abstract: Causing "unnecessary suffering" has been widely adopted in legislation to define criminal liability in respect of the treatment of animals. This article examines the way in which the term has been interpreted and applied by the courts, and considers its effectiveness in affording animals protection from abuse.
authors.affiliation: School of Law, University of East Anglia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radford
mesh_terms: D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D010146:Pain; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D006113:United Kingdom