Programme

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. 

​This summer school takes place at Stadscampus (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp) of the University of Antwerp. This campus is located in the city centre.

3 ECTS credits will be awarded upon successful completion of the programme, including a written assignment to be submitted 2 weeks after the end of the Summer School. The assignment is only obligatory for those who like to obtain ECTS for the Summer School. All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential.

Participants will be able to get in touch with peers attending other summer/winter schools at Antwerp Summer and Winter University. A visit to the beautiful city hall, a networking reception, a guided city walk, a quiz night, a football game and a day-trip to another Belgian city such as Bruges or Brussels are only some examples of these activities. All activities of the social programme are offered free of charge, in some cases participants will be asked for a deposit which will be reimbursed upon participation to the activity.

Specific social activities in the days around and during the summer school on Animal Law, Rights and Representation will be announced close to the start of the programme.

• 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

In preparation for the summer school, students will receive a list of literature to read (required/optional reading).

DAY 1 - Monday 25 August: Introduction to Animal Rights Law

The first day introduces the discipline of animal rights law. What is animal rights law, how does it relate to the overarching field of 'animal law,' and what are the main questions and topics covered? We will discuss the evolution of animal ethics, from the Cartesian denial of animal sentience to the scientific confirmation that animals are beings with feelings and emotions. We will explore the main differences and similarities between the utilitarian approach, the deontological approach, and the capabilities approach to animal rights. These lenses will be applied to case studies to discover how they lead to different outcomes. Furthermore, a critical view of animal rights will be provided by a sceptic of animal rights. By the end of the day, participants will be able to identify the main theories influencing our thinking about animal rights, apply these theories to real-life scenarios, and link specific arguments for animal rights to specific schools of thought.

Time Schedule:

• 9:00 Registration and welcome
• 9:30–10:30 Session 1: Introduction to Animal Rights Law (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 10:45–12:00 Session 2: Ethical and Theoretical Perspectives on Animal Rights  (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 12:00–13:30 Lunch
• 13:30–15:00 Session 3: A Critical View on Animal Rights (Dr Van de Voorde, University of Antwerp)
• 15:15–16:30 Workshop: The Great Debate
• 16:30–16:45 End-of-Day Quiz
• 17:00 Welcome Drink

DAY 2 - Tuesday 26 August: The Current Legal Paradigm and Its Shortcomings

The second day examines existing laws addressing animals at the national, European, and international levels. Attention will be given to different legal regimes for animals in the wild, animals kept for production, and animals kept as companions. We will analyze the ratio legis of these laws: their underlying intentions and effectiveness in protecting animals. A look at the history of animal protection instruments will reveal how their rationale has evolved to become less anthropocentric. This comparative approach will show how differences in legal systems lead to varying forms of animal protection. Guest lecturers will provide insights into animals' legal status in private law, EU law, and international regimes. By the end of the day, participants will have an extensive overview of current laws addressing animals and their shortcomings.

Guest lectures include Paulien Christiaenssen (KULeuven), Prof. Hendrik Schoukens, and Dr Elien Verniers (Ghent University).

Time Schedule

• 9:30–10:30 Session 4: Animals Under a Welfarist Regime (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 10:45–12:00 Session 5: The Protection of Farmed Animals (Paulien Christiaenssen, KULeuven)
• 12:00–13:30 Lunch
• 13:30–15:00 Session 6: The Protection of Wild Animals (Prof. Hendrik Schoukens, Ghent University)
• 15:30–17:00 Session 7: New Legal Instruments for Animal Welfare (Dr Verniers, Ghent University)
• 17:00–17:15 End-of-Day Quiz

DAY 3 - Wednesday 27 August: Animal Rights – Theory and Practice

The focus of Day 3 is legal theory and case law, with a central focus on the legal status of animals. Should animals be property, persons, or something else? In the morning, we will discuss the main theories of animal rights and examine feminist critiques of traditional binary thinking about animals' legal status. We will also explore the relationship between human rights and animal rights, particularly when rights come into conflict. In the afternoon, we will conduct an in-depth analysis of an animal rights case (Happy the elephant), contrasting it with other cases worldwide.

By the end of the day, participants will understand what is meant by 'animal personhood' and 'fundamental animal rights,' how animal rights relate to human rights, and how conflicts between these rights can be managed.

Guest lectures include Raffael Fasel (University of Cambridge), Sohini Mahapatra (National Law University Odisha), and Katharina Braun (Freie Universität Berlin).

Time Schedule

• 9:30–10:30 Session 8: Legal Theory of Animal Rights (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 10:45–12:00 Session 9: Human Rights and Animal Rights (Dr Fasel, University of Cambridge)
• 12:00–13:00 Lunch
• 13:00–14.00 Session 10: Animal Rights in Litigation (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 14:15-15.15 Session 11: Animal Rights Litigation in India (Dr Sohini Mahapatra, National Law University Odisha)
• 15:30–17:00 Session 12: The Law and Ethics of Animal Rights Activism (Dr Katharina Braun, Freie Universität Berlin)
• 17:00 End-of-Day Quiz

DAY 4 - Thursday 28 August: Animal Law in Action – Moot Court

Day 4 centers on the Moot Court. We begin with a discussion on animal representation in court, defining models of animal representation and analyzing the Moot Court case. One session will explore the political theory of representing animals in democratic societies. In the afternoon, participants will become animal lawyers in a Moot Court exercise, presenting arguments in two fictional cases.

By the end of the day, participants will understand how animals can be represented or become plaintiffs in legal cases, and will have practiced speaking as animal lawyers.

Time Schedule

• 9:30–10:00 Explanation of Moot Court
• 10:00–11:00 Interspecies Justice & Political Representation of Animals (Marine Lercier, Autonomous University of Barcelona)
• 11:00–15:00 Preparation for Moot Court
• 15:00–18:00 Moot Court (Jury Panel: Eva Bernet Kempers, Marine Lercier, Katharina Braun)

DAY 5 - The Future of Animal Rights

The final day discusses the future of animal rights law. Should the focus be on incremental change or a legal revolution? We will explore progressive examples such as proposals for fundamental animal rights in the Finnish Constitution and international conventions for animal rights. A Workshop will engage participants in designing their own animal rights laws. Two animal rights organizations will share their strategies for furthering animal rights.

Guest lectures include Sean Butler (University of Cambridge) and Michel Vandenbosch (GAIA)

Time Schedule

• 9:30–11:00 Workshop: Designing Animal Rights Laws
• 11:15–12:30 Session 13: Animal Rights Action in Belgium (Michel Vandenbosch, Director of GAIA)
• 12:30–14:00 Lunch
• 14:00–15:00 Session 14: The Role of Organizations in the Future of Animal Rights (tbc)
• 15:00–16:00 Session 15: Future Perspectives on Animal Rights – Summary, Final Quiz, and Prizes
• 16:30 Closing Drink and Ceremony (Agora)