Agriculture and Nature Conservation › Nature Conservation
This course equips learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively present evidence in a law court for the protection of animals. It covers the legal framework, evidence handling, courtroom procedures, and communication techniques necessary to advocate for animal welfare cases. Participants will gain confidence in testifying and presenting evidence that meets legal standards.
This course is designed for animal welfare inspectors, law enforcement officers, veterinary professionals, and anyone involved in animal protection who may be required to present evidence in court.
None — open enrollment.
Objectives:
• Understand the legal framework for animal protection in South Africa
• Identify different types of evidence relevant to animal cruelty cases
• Learn the principles of evidence collection and preservation
• Recognise the role of the animal protection officer in legal proceedings
Topics:
• Overview of animal protection legislation (Animal Protection Act, SPCA mandate)
• Types of evidence: physical, documentary, testimonial, digital
• Chain of custody: importance and documentation
• Scene management and evidence preservation
• Witness statements and expert testimony basics
• Ethical considerations in evidence handling
Objectives:
• Prepare evidence packs for court submission
• Demonstrate effective courtroom testimony techniques
• Apply rules of evidence in mock trial scenarios
• Evaluate common challenges in presenting animal protection evidence
Topics:
• Courtroom procedures and roles (prosecutor, defence, magistrate)
• Preparing evidence bundles and exhibits
• Giving evidence: language, demeanour, and handling cross-examination
• Admissibility of evidence: hearsay, relevance, and opinion
• Practical exercise: mock trial presentation
• Debrief and feedback on performance
The practicals provide hands-on experience in evidence handling and courtroom testimony. Learners practice scene documentation, evidence packaging, and presenting evidence in a simulated court environment.
Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.
Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.
Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.
On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.
| Component | Out of | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) | 100% | 30% |
| Daily Average (multiple choice) | 100% | 20% |
| Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) | 100% | 50% |
| Final Total | — | 100% |
All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.
Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.
Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.
| Delegates | Discount |
|---|---|
| 5 | 3% off |
| 10 | 6% off |
| 15 | 9% off |
| 20 | 12% off |
| 25 | 15% off |
| 30 | 18% off |
| 50 | 30% off |
| 75 | 35% off |
| 100 | 40% off |
3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.
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