Schweitzer’s ARC

The Schweitzer Institute and the Centre for Animals & Social Justice (CASJ) are convening a new Animal Rights & Care Coalition (ARC) to help design and deliver a coherent system of animal protection governance for the United Kingdom. ARC brings together legal scholars, policymakers, NGOs and practitioners to support the creation of a Governmental Animal Protection Commission (APC) capable of addressing the enforcement failures identified by Parliament and expert bodies.

What is ARC?

The Animal Rights & Care Coalition (ARC) is an expert, cross‑sector coalition jointly hosted by the Schweitzer Institute and CASJ. Its purpose is to develop principled, practically workable proposals for strengthening the protection of animals in law and public policy, with a particular focus on governance and enforcement. ARC members work collaboratively on research, consultation and advocacy around institutional reforms, including the APC proposal.

Why an Animal Protection Commission?

Recent parliamentary work has shown that the UK’s strong animal welfare laws are undermined by patchy, under‑resourced and inconsistent enforcement across local authorities and sectors. Key reports highlight gaps in inspector training, fragmented responsibilities, weak data‑sharing, and a lack of clear accountability for delivering the standards set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and related legislation. A national APC is intended to provide the independent oversight, coordination and expertise needed to close these systemic gaps.

How ARC and the APC fit together

ARC operates as the independent civil‑society engine behind the APC concept. The coalition helps to refine the legal and institutional design of the Commission, gathers evidence on enforcement problems and solutions, and provides a forum in which NGOs, professional bodies and academics can shape the APC model before and during the legislative process. In turn, the proposed APC would sit within government as a statutory body, responsible for overseeing enforcement frameworks, standards, data and accountability across the animal protection system.

Building on existing work

ARC’s agenda builds directly on the concerns already raised by parliamentary groups and expert committees about enforcement failures, low inspection rates, uneven use of existing powers and the need for stronger partnerships between government, local authorities and the charity sector. By drawing these strands together in a single governance project, ARC aims to help ensure that well‑intentioned laws translate into consistent, preventative protection for animals in practice.

ARC conference 

The first ARC conference will take place at Portcullis House, Westminster, on Tuesday 21 April 2026, hosted by Adrian Ramsay MP in partnership with the Schweitzer Institute and CASJ. Bringing together parliamentarians, NGOs, professional bodies and academic experts, this inaugural hybrid seminar will present a near‑final draft of the APC proposal and invite participants to scrutinise, refine and strengthen the model. The meeting will focus in particular on how an APC could respond to current enforcement failures, support local authorities and regulators, and embed “due regard” for animal welfare within UK governance structures.