Animal Law & Policy

Catalog description

How are animals being treated, and what can laws and policies change about it? This course will address these questions by articulating case studies and analysis of legal rules, while also building on social sciences and legal theory. It will map the values and interests underpinning animal law and policy (from animal ethics to trade in animals and animal products). The course will then examine the various legal rules that set the appropriate standard of treatment of animals on the farm, in the lab, in the wild, etc. Central debates in animal law that are of interest for social sciences will be considered, by insisting on their legal ramifications (e.g. Should animals have rights? Should civil disobedience be penalized ?, etc.). Intersections between animal exploitation and other forms of injustice will be put forward, thus leading students to consider how environmental law, labor law, consumer law or human rights law may be considered as effective gateways to bolster (also) animal protection. Endorsing a critical and forward-looking perspective, the course will sharpen the analytical skills and the legal imagination of students.