Animal Law News
The latest news and views about animal protection law and policy in the UK and beyond. Written by our volunteer team and guest contributors.
Islamabad High Court decision in Kaavan case
By Debbie Lee, legal secretary and solicitor-in-training The next edition of the Journal of Animal Law will highlight a potentially ground-breaking case in the field of animal rights law. This...
Pets can now be buried with their owners in certain parts of Italy
By Angelica Botta, graduate of Anglia Ruskin University – LLB (Hons) Law Pets are undoubtedly important to many families: they provide companionship and emotional support; they reduce stress levels;...
North Carolina’s Ag-Gag law declared unconstitutional
By Addison Luck, Earth Law Manager for the Earth Law Center In 2016, eight American organizations, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals...
Changes in Wuhan: A temporary reprieve for the wildlife of China?
By Denise Ho, student at Durham University Following the outbreak of Covid-19, regulations in China have attracted a great deal of attention. The main piece of legislation governing China’s use of...
Hen harrier brood management in England
By Luke Steele, Masters student at the University of Bradford, Managing Director and Spokesperson of Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire’s Moors At first glance, the Hen Harrier Recovery Plan (DEFRA, 2016)...
Book review: ‘Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach’ by Gary Francione
Review by Erin Lanza, student at BPP University Gary Francione, the controversial legal scholar, author, and professor of animal rights, begins this book with a promise: ‘This book is about a...
The role of beavers in UK ecosystems
By Sophie Lunn The Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber), formerly a native inhabitant of Britain, became locally extinct in the 16th century due to anthropogenic persecution and the...
From Victorians to the modern day: The truth about UK Tiger Kings
By Emma Hinds Like many other people in lockdown, I have turned to Netflix for solace. One of the shows dominating public conversation lately is Tiger King. With murder, mayhem, and madness,...
Court to cats’ rescue: Animal rights during lockdown
By Adithi Rao, student at ILS Law College, Pune, India During this pandemic, the Indian judiciary has been open only for urgent matters, which included a writ petition filed by a gentleman...
Book review: ‘Lucy’s Law’ by Marc Abraham
By Mina da Rui, LLM student In 21st century Great Britain, legal reasoning paths are slowly widening as human rights, environmental dysfunction, and animal injustice come to the fore of public...
Judicial review of UK oil law and the danger to seahorses
By Erin Lanza During the early part of 2020, environmental and animal advocates turned their attention toward the devastating losses of wildlife in Australia. In a vastly different habitat,...
Golden eagles: A persecuted species
By Daniel Ball, solicitor Somewhere in the bleak and unforgiving Scottish Highlands, golden eagles are persecuted for so-called ‘sport’. Grouse shooting is the hunting of red grouse between...
Deforestation, palm oil, and the effects on wildlife
By Rosie Paine, student at University of Winchester Deforestation, the cutting down of trees in a large area, or the destruction of trees by people, is one of the leading causes of climate change...
Book review: ‘Racism as Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out’ by Aph Ko
Review by Erin Lanza In this book, media studies scholar and theorist Aph Ko presents a novel approach to considering animal rights, one that destabilises colonial logic and locates problematic...
Aquatic Animal Law Initiative raises awareness of blue revolution
Ed. note: Please enjoy this piece originally intended for World Aquatic Animal Day in April. We share in support of the Aquatic Animal Law Initiative and the Animal Law Clinic at Lewis & Clark...
The impact of Covid-19 on animal shelters in Thailand
By Alice Kennedy, trainee solicitor Lanta Animal Welfare In the summer of 2014, I volunteered at Lanta Animal Welfare (LAW) in Koh Lanta, an island in Thailand’s Krabi Province. The animal shelter...
How to set up an Animal Law course at your university
By Danielle Duffield, solicitor FIRST: Form an A-law student group; become an ambassador at your university to raise the profile of the field If you would like your university to...
The campaign for compulsory cat microchipping
By Imogen Mellor Cats Protection campaigns for the mandatory microchipping of owned cats. They state that “cats are independent and curious creatures – part of the reason we love them. But this...
Book review: ‘Nonhuman Animals and the Law’ by Dr Sohini Mahapatra
Book Review by Michelle Li Sze Cheng Dr. Sohini Mahaptra dedicates her book Nonhuman Animals and the Law to “all of the wonderful animals around us – companions, strays and...
Covid-19 and wildlife: An opportunity to reflect and change?
By Sophie Lunn, student at Nottingham Trent University Covid-19, the human illness caused by the novel virus SARS-COV-2, has been causing worry and...
Book review: ‘Emerging Issues in Green Criminology: Exploring Power, Justice and harm’ by Reece Walters, Diane Solomon Westerhuis and Tanya Wyatt (eds)
Review by Paula Sparks ‘This edited collection brings together internationally renowned scholars to explore green criminology through the interdisciplinary lenses of power, harm and justice.’[1] A...
A recap of A-LAW’s ‘Animals and Wildlife Law’ Seminar
By Charlotte Edgar On February 12, 2020, a seminar on Animals and Wildlife Law was held by the UK Centre for Animal Law at the University of Dundee. The seminar was attended by a wide-ranging...
University of Aberdeen law students assist A-LAW with Scottish Bill submission
By Molly O’Donoghue, Anna Connelly, and Savannah Coull, University of Aberdeen law students As law students, we spend more time studying than experiencing the actual law-making process. Since we all...
The ramifications of breeding Brachycephalic dogs
By Julia Lee Heaving and wheezing, panting and collapsing, brachycephalic dogs struggle to breathe and survive due to severe morphological abnormalities, including the recognised characteristics of...
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