Antoine F. Goetschel

Antoine François Goetschel (born August 24, 1958 in Zurich ) is a Swiss lawyer and advisor for international animal law and ethics, founder and president of the Global Animal Law GAL Association in Zurich (Switzerland). In addition to his law firm, his work and research mainly relates to animal welfare law and animal ethics at the local, national and international level.

Act

Goetschel has specialized in questions of human-animal relationships in law since 1984. He has (co-) authored numerous books and articles on animal welfare law (Swiss and international animal welfare law), such as the commentary on the German Animal Welfare Act (Kluge, Hrsg .; 2003) and on the Swiss Animal Welfare Act (1986), the "The Animal in Law - 99 Facets of the Human-Animal Relationship ”(2003), the animal CD-ROM (2004), the practical guide“ Tier im Recht transparent ”(2008),“ Animals complain ”(2012) and numerous expert opinions on ethical issues and law in the human-animal relationship to Swiss, German, European and international animal protection law and lectured on it. He is a lecturer in animal welfare law at the law faculty of the University of Zurich and recipient of the most important animal welfare award in Switzerland (Fleitmann Foundation, 2005).

He has successfully worked with the Foundation for the Animal in Law a. a. for the removal of animals from the factual status in Swiss law (1989–2003), the amendment of the Swiss federal constitution with the protection of animal dignity (1992), the prohibition of sexual acts with animals (2008) or the introduction of the office of the lawyer for animal protection in criminal matters (Animal advocate) in the Canton of Zurich (1992). The office of animal advocate was carried out by Antoine F. Goetschel from 2007 to 2010. At the end of 2010, the office of the Zurich animal lawyer was dissolved.

In 2016 Goetschel founded the Global Animal Law GAL Association. With currently around 80 professors and lawyers specializing in “Animals in Law”, the association aims to become a world-wide pioneering body for the health and protection of animals through the law. The ideal of GAL is a world in which humans take care to keep animals healthy and to treat them well in their care, which means that any healthy animals are used with dignity. The Global Animal Law GAL Association understands the health of animals as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. The association follows the idea of ​​"One Health": healthy people and animals need to live together in order to bring about a recovery of the earth system. In addition, GAL has the leading and constantly updated database on all animal welfare laws, from national to global. The matrix, also published on globalanimallaw.org, helps with its grid u. a. Students, animal welfare organizations and animal welfare law advisers to make the next steps for the betterment of the animal in the areas of legislation, law enforcement and education tangible. GAL proposes complex legal solutions for the existing problems, including a legislative, social and economic majority for the health and protection of animals.

The Global Animal Law GAL association also calls on the UN to adopt a convention on animal welfare. All over the world, animals should be spared unnecessary suffering and their welfare should be promoted. The Global Animal Law GAL Association, together with Dr. Sabine Brels developed a draft. All animals should benefit from this convention (farm animals, domestic animals, experimental animals, sport animals and wild animals). The convention also includes provisions for the protection of all species, including invertebrates.

Today Goetschel works as a lawyer, executor and international advisor for animals in law and ethics in Zurich.

Publications (selection)

• Commentary on the Federal Animal Welfare Act . Haupt , Bern 1986, ISBN 3-258-03584-9 .
• Animal welfare and fundamental rights, represented by the relationship between federal animal welfare legislation and the fundamental rights of personal freedom, freedom of science and freedom of religion. Haupt, Bern 1989, ISBN 3-258-04118-0 (= dissertation , University of Zurich, 1989).
• Collection of decrees on Swiss animal protection law. 2 volumes. Haupt, Bern 1987/91, ISBN 3-258-03826-0 , ISBN 3-258-04354-X .
• with Dieter Hitz and Christine Naef: Our dog: Practical tips on posture, health and legal issues: a guide from observer practice. Jean Frey , Zurich 2001, ISBN 3-85569-229-7 .
• with Gieri Bolliger: The right animal: 99 facets of the human-animal relationship from A to Z. Orell Füssli , Zurich 2003, ISBN 3-280-07040-6 .
• with Gieri Bolliger, Michelle Richner and Alexandra Spring: Tier im Recht transparent. Schulthess , Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-7255-5620-5 .
• with Gieri Bolliger: The protection of animal interests in criminal and administrative proceedings (with special consideration of the situation of animal welfare enforcement in the canton of Zurich) (= writings on animals in law. Vol. 3). Schulthess, Zurich 2011, ISBN 978-3-7255-6442-2 .
• with Doris Mendlewitsch : Animals accuse. S. Fischer Verlag , Frankfurt am Main 2012, ISBN 978-3-651-00002-5 .
• Animal Spa - the animal advocate's stories. Portmann Verlag, Küsnacht 2018, ISBN 978-3-906014-44-9 .

Web links

• Website by Antoine F. Goetschel
• Literature by Antoine F. Goetschel
• Media reports by Antoine F. Goetschel
• Global Animal Law GAL website
• Interviews with Antoine F. Goetschel