The Boyd Group's Constitution

The Boyd Group is an independent UK forum for the for the open exchange of views on issues of concern related to the use of animals in science. Participants in the Group span a range of expertise and perspective. They include veterinarians, scientists using animals (from industry and academia), members of animal welfare organisations, anti-vivisectionists, members of government and charitable bodies funding or directly engaged in research, philosophers and others.

The Group's objectives are to:

  1. promote dialogue between these diverse people and organisations;
  2. clarify key issues of concern identified by participants, in order to reveal the basis of the various perspectives and positions on the issues, and to understand where the differences lie; and
  3. where possible, to identify points of consensus and make practical recommendations towards achieving common goals.

Examples of the Group's work include reports entitled:

  • Ethical review of research involving animals: a role for institutional ethics committees?
  • Advancing refinement in laboratory animal use
  • The use of animals for testing cosmetics
  • Genetic engineering: animal welfare and ethics
  • The use of non-human primates in research and testing
  • The use of animals in testing household products

Membership
  1. Membership includes a range of views on the use of animals in science. There are no pre-conditions for joining the Boyd Group, save that representatives of organisations that support violent activity or break the criminal law will not be admitted.

  2. Members comprise
    1. nominees of organisations: as agreed by the Group;
    2. individual members with particular expertise or perspective: as agreed by the Group;
    3. observers, either as individuals, or nominees of organisations: as agreed by the Group;

  3. Applications for membership should include a brief statement explaining the reasons membership is being sought - that is, what the applicant hopes to gain from / contribute to the Group. Applications are circulated to all members for comment, prior to the next full meeting of the Group, then the applications and comments are discussed and approved (or not) at the meeting.

Procedure

  1. Any matter related to the use of animals in science may be raised by any member and put on the Agenda for discussion.

  2. Discussion may lead to examination of the issue by a sub-group appointed for the purpose by the whole Group, to which it will in due course bring a report for discussion and such further action as the Group may determine - for example, publication or communication with other bodies.

  3. Unless otherwise agreed, preliminary papers and drafts of reports are not made public.

Structure and Accounts

  1. The Group has the following Officers, appointed from amongst members of the Group, by agreement: Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Researcher.

  2. The Group holds a Bank Account, to which both the Secretary and Treasurer individually are signatories.

  3. An annual statement of the Accounts will be presented to the Group by the Treasurer.

  4. The expenses of the Officers and a stipend for the Researcher will be met from funds of the Group, to which members will pay a subscription.

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