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.
Animal rights and personhood: Past, present and future
by Ankita Shanker, BPTC This piece is published in recognition of International Animal Rights Day, which occurred on December 10. Beginning in 1998, individuals, organisations, and associations...
The fight against Canada’s horse meat trade
By Francesca Nicholls, BPTC student The Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (‘CHDC’), a collective organisation of people and national groups, has lobbied since 2012 to ban the transport and export of...
Celebrity culture and its impact on animal law reform
By Paula Sparks, A-law chairperson With a recent article citing claims that celebrities posing with monkeys could be ‘fuelling the extinction of our nearest living...
Bureau rejects Scottish Wildcat Haven Bern Convention complaint
By Sophie Mills, Trainee Solicitor The Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris) is one of the few native predators left in Scotland. With only 35 recorded in northern Scotland in recent years, they are...
Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week: UK no-pet clauses
By Randi Milgram & Michelle Strauss, Companion Animal Special Interest Group co-chairs This past week, we joined with the Animals & Society Institute (ASI) in the United States in...
A summary review of Edith Barabash’s presentation ‘From the courtroom to the farm: What we learn from cows’
By Rebecca Jones, clinical research professional A recent public Zoom event called “From the Courtroom to the Farm: What We Learn From Cows”, chronicled Canadian law student Edith Barabash’s journey...
National Pitbull Awareness Day: A perspective on our relationship with pitbull types and legal controls
By Sophia Di Giovanna, student of Animal Welfare & Society at University of Winchester National Pit Bull Awareness Day occurs annually October 26. Since 2007, advocates hope that the celebration...
![R (on the application of Highbury Poultry Farm Produce Ltd) (appellant) v Crown Prosecution Service (respondent) UKSC [2020] 39](https://www.alaw.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Broilers-400x250.jpg)
R (on the application of Highbury Poultry Farm Produce Ltd) (appellant) v Crown Prosecution Service (respondent) UKSC [2020] 39
By Frances Allen and Reuben Solomon, public law barristers at Goldsmith Chambers References in square brackets are to paragraphs in the Supreme Court judgment Issue in the appeal The issue for the...
The troubling case of non-stun slaughter: A comment on the Opinion of Advocate General Hogan in Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België and Others
By Dr. Joe Wills, University of Leicester INTRODUCTION There is now growing awareness that the struggles for animal rights and human rights are interconnected. The industrial exploitation of...
As more countries ban the cruel events of rodeos, others refuse
By Tiffany Mitchell, A-law Legal Support Officer “Rodeos are events in which animals are subjected to violence and cruelty in the name of ‘sport,’”[1] states the New Zealand SPCA. Although the...
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...