Rights to Non-human Animals: Philosophical Justifications and Legal Perspectives in Dialogue

The event will include four panels:

Panel I – Philosophical Approaches: Part I

Chaired by Päivi Neuvonen and will feature:

• Alasdair Cochrane (Sheffield): In Defence of Sentient Rights
• Raffael Fasel (Cambridge): The Species Membership Approach Defended
• Elisa Aaltola (Turku): Empathy and Other Affective Justifications for Animal Rights

Panel II – Philosophical Approaches: Part II

Chaired by Rachel Dunn and will feature:

• Joshua Jowitt (Newcastle): A Gewirthian Approach to Animal Rights
• Benedict Douglas (Durham): Legal Protection of Non-Human Transcendent Value
• Clair Linzey (Oxford): Theological Underpinnings of Legal Attitudes to Animals
• Sergio Dellavalle (Turin/Durham): Is the Recognition-based Theory of Rights Suitable for the Animal Rights Discourse?

Panel III – Legal Perspectives: Part I

Chaired by Benedict Douglas and will feature:

• John Adenitire (Queen Mary): Animals and the Constitution: On Proportionality
• Visa Kurki (Helsinki): Can Animals Hold Rights without Legal Personhood?
• Jérôme de Hemptinne (Utrecht): Protection of Animals in International Law
• Jochen von Bernstorff (Tübingen): Extending Constitutional Rights to Nonhuman Entities

Panel IV – Legal Perspectives: Part II

Chaired by Joshua Jowitt and will feature:

• Dara Eisen (Durham): A Soft Cultural Relativist Approach to the Harms of Whaling
• Debbie Rook (Northumbria): Pets as Family: Legal Recognition of Companion Animal Relationships

EVENT PROGRAMME

8:45 – 9:00 Welcome address and introductory remarks

Volker Roeben, Dean of the Law School, Durham University

Päivi Neuvonen, Durham University, Co-Director of the Durham Centre for Law and Philosophy

9:00 – 10:30 Panel I: Philosophical approaches – Part one

Chair: Päivi Neuvonen, Durham University

Alasdair Cochrane, University of Sheffield: “In Defence of Sentient Rights”

Raffael Fasel, University of Cambridge: “The Species Membership Approach Defended”

Elisa Aaltola, University of Turku: "Empathy and Other Affective Justifications for Animal Rights"

10:30 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 12:30 Panel II Philosophical approaches – Part two

Chair: Rachel Dunn, Leeds Beckett University

Joshua Jowitt, Newcastle University: “A Gewirthian Approach to Animal Rights”

Benedict Douglas, Durham University: “Legal Protection of Non-Human Transcendent Value”

Clair Linzey, University of Oxford: “The Theological Underpinnings of Legal Attitudes to Animals”

Sergio Dellavalle, University of Turin and Durham Law School: “Is the Recognition-based Theory of Rights Suitable for the Animal Rights Discourse?”

12:30 – 2:00 Lunch

2:00 – 3:45 Panel III: Legal perspectives – Part one

Chair: Benedict Douglas, Durham University

John Adenitire, Queen Mary University of London: “Animals and the Constitution: On Proportionality”

Visa Kurki, University of Helsinki: “Can Animals Hold Rights without Legal Personhood?”

Jérôme de Hemptinne, Utrecht University: “The Protection of Animals Through International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law”

Jochen von Bernstorff, University of Tübingen: “Extending constitutional rights to nonhuman entities in the nature crisis: some thoughts on inter-species collisions of rights”

3:45 – 4:00 Break

4:00 – 5:30 Panel IV Legal perspectives – Part two

Chair: Joshua Jowitt, Newcastle University

Dara Eisen, Durham University: “Human Culture and Animal Interests: a Soft Cultural Relativist Approach to the Harms of Whaling”

Debbie Rook, Northumbria University: “Pets as Family: Recognising and Protecting the Human-companion Animal Relationship as a Familial Relationship”

Rachel Dunn, Leeds Beckett University: “Enforcement of Animal Welfare Laws: Time for Change?”