Gain insight in animal law as a legal discipline, learn about animal rights and find ways to represent animals in court.
Description
Red squirrels are native to Europe. However, due to the increasing presence of grey squirrels that are brought here from the US, which are stronger, red squirrels are now almost getting extinct.
The international (and European) legal framework requires states to eradicate such 'invasive species'. But how do we legitimize killing individual beings to save an abstract concept as 'species'? Are red squirrels better than grey squirrels, just because they were here first?
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.
Program
The Summer School Animal Law, Rights and Representation offers an intensive programme of 5 days of lectures on different aspects of animal (rights) law. Students will dive into the emerging field of animal rights law from a transnational perspective. They will be familiarized with the basics of animal rights law, get to know about issues concerning the representation of animals in court, and study the transnational aspects of the law addressing animals. Moreover, they will get the chance to interact with practitioners and animal law scholars that will give guest lectures during the course, amongst which Sean and Raffael of the Cambridge Centre of Animal Rights Law.
The aim is to give a comprehensive overview of the relevant theories and laws addressing animals, including supranational, international, and national perspectives. Participants successfully completing the course will have a strong basis in animal rights law for their further careers.
Remarks
Successful completion of the summer school can be awarded with 3 credits according the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). A certificate will be awarded at the end of the programme.
