Why should non-human animals be included in our moral circle?

Our moral circle should include every being that can suffer, every being that is sentient. As far as our current knowledge reaches, most animal species have the ability to suffer.

Bart Collard • April 04, 2019 • 1 comment

If Slaughterhouses had Glass Walls…

We have yet to encounter a situation where the concealment of actions has aided the pursuit of justice. Lack of transparency in slaughter houses is not only harmful for the animals that are secretly beaten up, but also compromises our democratic rights.

Janneke Vink • March 31, 2017 • 3 comments

Beastly Politics

Does the liberal democratic state defy its own basic principle of equality by denying certain beings with interests the political power to defend these fundamental interests?

Janneke Vink • October 27, 2016

The Justifiability of Zoos

A few days ago a 4-year old boy fell into the gorilla residence of an American zoo. A gorilla took notice and walked up to the boy. Although the gorilla showed no intention of harming the boy, he was executed on the spot. The incident caused global outrage

Janneke Vink • June 02, 2016 • 3 comments

Making space for animals and their rights

Most people, including legal scholars, still have a strong species bias. Yet there are significant developments and new insights which give good reason to expand our conception of rights beyond the human world, to include (other) animals.

Wim Bonis • February 03, 2016 • 2 comments

What legal scholars should know about Speciesism

In 1975, Peter Singer drew attention to the phenomenon of Speciesism. This ideology defies elementary rules of equality, yet most people are (unconsciously) speciesists. Jurists, as guardians of the equality principle, should be familiar with the ideology.

Janneke Vink • January 21, 2016

Freedom: An ongoing endeavour

The theme of the 440th anniversary of Leiden University is freedom. Good reason to reflect on how centuries of freedom struggles have enriched us. We should also dwell on the question of whether there are calls for freedom that still remain to be answered.

Janneke Vink • July 30, 2015 • 2 comments

The battle for animal rights in American courts

American judges reacted quite curiously in cases of freedom claims for chimpanzees.

Janneke Vink • April 23, 2015

Seals and public morals: space for morality-based trade restrictions?

The WTO Appellate Body in May upheld the EU’s seal products ban as being necessary to protect public morals. The question arises whether the protection of ‘cute and cuddly’ seals on this ground is a precursor to a de facto human rights clause in WTO law.

Robert Wardle • June 24, 2014

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