# Criminal Trials, Restrictions on Protest, and Good News for Some

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-rights-the-debate-6705712/criminal-trials-restrictions-on-protest-and-good-news-for-some
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-rights-the-debate-6705712/criminal-trials-restrictions-on-protest-and-good-news-for-some.md
Podcast: [Animal Rights: the Debate](https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-rights-the-debate-6705712)
Published: 2026-01-19T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://8455740d-a913-453b-a5ed-20f522efd647.libsyn.com/criminal-trials-restrictions-on-protest-and-good-news-for-some
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/8455740d-a913-453b-a5ed-20f522efd647/riverside_david__martyn___jan_18_2026_001_martyn_fords_studio.mp3?dest-id=4223538
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Duration seconds: 2326

## Resource

Animals have the status of objects in law, and so a dog is the property of his/her owner. Surely then, breaking into the owner's premises and taking the owner's dog without consent must then constitute theft? Not necessarily so. At Cambridge Crown Court recently, a jury found that defendants had not acted dishonestly in removing [some might say rescuing] beagles from MBR, a breeding facility where the dogs would be used in medical research. We consider some of the legal issues arising out of the two trials that have taken place, each with a different outcome. We also discuss the amendment to legislation that will make it a criminal offence to interfere with the use or operation of an animal research facility, and the prospect of a legal challenge to the legality of such a provision. We also acknowledge the contribution of the late Brigitte Bardot, the first celebrity to champion the cause of animal rights at a time else when no other public figure seemed to care.

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## Transcript

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