The School of Law at the University of Leeds is one of the few law schools in the UK to offer a course on Animal Law. The lecturers multidisciplinary training and practical experience, which includes veterinary medicine, business, and applied law, means attendees get a credible course because it is objective, practical, and fairly representative of the perspectives of the multiple stakeholders attached to issues of animals welfare, ethics, science, and law.

Key points:

1. The course is open to undergraduates from all disciplines includeing, for example, students studying law, science, policy and economics, food safety, and the environment.
2. The course focuses on the principles and issues (rather than being a simple trudge through relevant legislation)
3. Assessment is by in-class tests and an essay.

Think about where animals occur in society, and how they are used…

"Animals, and our use of them, impacts the economy, society, the environment, and almost everything about human lifestyles”

Animals are used in agriculture, research, teaching, medicine, sports, and entertainment, in addition to their role as pets, working animals [e.g. border control, security, the military and the police] and much more.

Think about it for a moment and you can see how issues of animal welfare and law are also relevant to key contemporary global issues including environmental concerns such as global warming, sustainability, food safety and supply chains, disease control and international trade.

From a legal perspective, Every major canon of law - criminal, tort, public, and contract – all have to deal with laws “special property” – animals.

ANIMAL LAW is increasingly recognized as one of the fastest developing areas of law because it has such an enormous impact on the economy, culture, environment and human life-styles, both domestically and internationally.  

Hardly a day goes by without something in the media that's related to animals. For example, you might remember programs on articles dealing with foot and mouth disease, bird flu, pharmaceutical research, prosecutions for animal cruelty, veterinary malpractice, live exports, dog breeding and dog shows, dog bites, horse-racing, animal activists, provision for animals in wills, the use of animals in movies and television, matrimonial disputes involving animals… these are all examples of issues that come under the subject of ANIMAL LAW.

Law underpins all of these uses, interests and interactions

The paper on ANIMAL LAW

The School of Law at the University of Leeds is one of the few law schools in the UK to offer a course on Animal Law, and it is believed that is the only one offered by a lecturer with the multidisciplinary training and practical experience from both veterinary medicine and law thereby providing you with a course that is objective, practical, and fairly representative of the perspectives of the multiple stakeholders attached to issues of animals welfare, ethics, science, and law.This ANIMAL LAW paper is not a boring regurgitation of statute and case law, nor just a paper promoting animal rights and/or vegetarianism. While dealing with relevant legislation, the paper focuses on the principles and issues of law as it pertains to animals. 

It is NOT necessary for attendees to have a legal background to successfully complete this course. 

The course attendees are traditionally a mixture of representatives from a number of faculties especially law and science, which makes for engaging cross disciplinary class discussions.Naturally there is some basic law which comes as part of the course but the level is intentionally designed so that it is not a barrier for non-law students who complete the relevant amount of study. In fact, the two top places in the last course were shared between a law student and a science student.    

About assessment 

• There is no exam. Assessment is by a few straight forward in-class tests, and an essay.
• Post-grad options are available for students wishing to do dissertations and Masters in this area of study. 

Enrollment

Enrollment is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all faculties. Because ANIMAL LAW is a multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary subject, if you are a undergraduate or postgraduate student, or a career professional in any of the following faculties or disciplines…

• Law, Politics,
• Science, Zoology, Biology
• Research, Genomics
• Environmental Studies
• Central and/or Local Government
• Economics, Foreign/International Policy and Trade
• Medicine, Health, Psychology
• Ethics, Sociology, Social Policy
• Food Safety and Technology

In Fact

• Any career which has direct, or indirect, contact with animals
• Or if you have personal, or business, interests in animals …

… then what the law says about animals is likely to be relevant to YOU.

 

Your lecturer

Ian Robertson is a Barrister and Solicitor (NZ) who is a recognized international specialist in animal law, who is also a qualified veterinarian who has run multiple clinical practices, whose career includes being a television presenter of endangered species from around the world for Fox Television.

Ian has taught ANIMAL LAW at law schools and veterinary schools in New Zealand and England, and his professional training and experience as a veterinarian, lawyer, businessman and media presenter enable him to provide practical perspective and insights which he brings to this ANIMAL LAW course.

In addition to being a LAW LECTURER and CONFERENCE SPEAKER on the subject, Ian Robertson is also the DIRECTOR of International Animal-Law, a member of the International Advisory Board of CIWF, an external associate of the OIE (World Animal Health Organisation) and a PROSECUTOR for the New Zealand government (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).

This means you get a course that is objective, realistic and practical.

“I am aware of lecturers who teach the subject of animal law where the course significantly reflects the lecturers personal beliefs about concepts such as animal rights, and where the lecturer privately gauges the success of the course on the basis of how many attendees adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. While respecting the personal beliefs and lifestyle choices of individuals, it is nonetheless important for education on animal welfare to be objective, practical, and fairly representative of the interests and perspectives of all stakeholders attached to issues of animal welfare if the education provided is to be truly credible.

Consequently, this animal law course intentionally avoids promoting one way of thinking in preference to another. Instead, the objective of this animal law course is to enable those who successfully complete the course to objectively, authoritatively, and critically assess issues involving animals which, in turn, then assists the attendees in reviewing established systems and proposed changes on their own merits, and to contribute more constructively to the discussions and forums in which they participate."

Ian Robertson, Director International Animal Law

FINALLY, HERE’S WHAT SOME OF THE STUDENTS FROM PREVIOUS COURSES HAVE SAID about the Animal Law course taught at the University of Leeds School of Law:

 “This is an intellectually stimulating class”

 “Very interactive class and discussion”

 “The lecturer uses personal experiences and reality situations which break any monotony of law”

 “It’s the most interesting module I have done this year”!

 “This is the best module I have done at LeedsUniversity -  Brilliant!

 

The 2011 course has finished, and the next course at Leeds is provisionally sceduled for 2013. To facilitate class interaction and outcomes, the number of class attendees is strictly limited so if you would like to be part of the University of Leeds animal law course, or you have questions about cross crediting, or any other question related to enrollment then contact Kate Hall at the University of Leeds School of Law.