Animal Law, Rights and Representation

About

Sheep are among the most familiar animals in Europe, yet their legal status depends on the category in which they are placed. When grazing in a field, they might be treated as part of agricultural property. When used for wool or meat production, they are classified as commodities subject to trade and animal welfare regulations. However, as potential carriers of diseases like scrapie or foot-and-mouth disease, sheep are governed by biosecurity rules that prioritize public health over animal well-being.

These shifting categories raise profound questions: How can the same being simultaneously represent economic utility, legal risk, and a living, sentient creature? And what does it mean for the law to treat sheep not as individuals, but as food products that can be bought and sold?

This leads us to the more general question: do animals have legal rights? And if so, who can represent them in court?

We will discuss these and other questions during the Summer School in Animal Law, Rights and Representation at the University of Antwerp. You will get a comprehensive overview of animal law as a legal discipline, familiarize yourself with the different theories of animal rights law, and think about ways to represent animals in court. You will also get the chance to defend animals yourself in a moot court setting, before a professional jury.

Course leader

Eva Bernet Kempers

Target group

Third Bachelor and Master Students in Law. Participants should have at least completed 2 full years of higher education in a relevant field of study.

Course aim

Upon completion of the course, participants will:

be able to understand the theoretical basis of animal (rights) law
have insight in aspects of legal problem solving in legal cases involving animals, such as identification and legal qualification of relevant facts, selection and interpretation of the applicable law and identification of interests involved;
have insight in the difficulties of representing animals in court
have insight in the development of animal law across the traditional national boundaries of legal systems;
be able to understand societal challenges posed by contemporary animal problems in a global world.
develop a critical perspective on the existing law addressing animals

Fee info

The tuition fee includes lectures, course materials, coffee breaks, a closing ceremony and social activities. It does not cover lunch, dinner, travel or accommodation.