Contemporary Issues
in Animal Rights Law

Free On-demand Course

Build a rigorous and critical foundation in Animal Rights Law through eight modules taught by specialist scholars and practitioners.

Explore legal, philosophical, comparative and political approaches to animal rights, and consider how they can inform research, policy, litigation, education and advocacy.

Study online in English at your own pace.

Apply to join the course for free

About the course

Animal Rights Law asks questions that animal welfare regulation alone cannot answer. Can non-human animals hold legal rights? How does their legal status affect the protection of their interests? What roles can courts, legislatures, political institutions and social movements play in advancing their rights?

CIARL On-Demand provides a structured introduction to these questions. Rather than presenting animal rights law as a collection of isolated rules, the course invites participants to examine how legal ideas, institutions and advocacy strategies interact, and where they may create possibilities or limitations for change.

Through recorded lectures, curated readings, quizzes and optional practical, self-assessed exercises, participants explore the philosophical foundations of animal rights, the legal status of animals, including from civil and common law perspectives, and questions such as legal personhood for animals, international and EU animal (rights) law, comparative animal rights jurisprudence, political representation of animals and animal rights as a social justice movement. The course is designed to help learners analyse animal rights issues more critically and apply its conceptual and legal foundations in further study, research, policy or advocacy.

Who is this course for?

CIARL On-Demand is designed for people who want to understand animal rights through a legal, ethical and strategic lens.

It may be particularly relevant to:

  • animal advocates and professionals working or volunteering in non-profit organisations;

  • law students, lawyers and other legal professionals;

  • researchers and academics working on animal law, ethics, politics, criminology, environmental law, human rights or related fields;

  • policy professionals, civil servants and people involved in legislative or regulatory reform;

  • educators and students seeking a structured and rigorous introduction to Animal Rights Law;

  • veterinary, scientific and other professionals whose work intersects with animals’ legal status and protection;

  • volunteers, career changers and others seeking to contribute more effectively to animal advocacy.

A formal qualification in law is not required. Participants should, however, be prepared to engage critically with legal concepts, academic lectures and assigned readings.

Applications are open to people aged 18 and over from all professional, academic and geographic backgrounds. ICARE reviews applications to confirm basic eligibility, genuine interest and whether the course is appropriate for the applicant’s stated learning aims.

The course is designed to help you:

  • distinguish animal rights from animal welfare and examine the relationship between moral rights and legal rights;

  • identify important concepts concerning animal sentience, dignity, legal status, right-holding and legal personhood;

  • explain how international and EU instruments, institutions and emerging doctrines have shaped the legal treatment of non-human animals;

  • compare how civil law and common law systems conceptualise animals and their legal status;

  • examine philosophical theories that influence Animal Rights Law and policy;

  • analyse judicial reasoning and legal arguments in animal rights cases from different regions;

  • examine models for the political representation of animals and distinguish political representation from legal standing;

  • understand animal rights as a social and political movement, including its relationships with other movements for justice;

  • assess how legal theory, litigation, policy-making and advocacy can interact in efforts to advance animal rights.

How the course works

CIARL On-Demand consists of eight self-paced modules hosted on Google Classroom.

Each module includes:

  • one to two hours of recorded lectures in English;

  • a selection of assigned readings;

  • a short quiz;

  • one optional, self-assessed practical exercise.

Participants should allow approximately six hours per module, including lectures, readings and learning activities. Completing all eight modules, the quizzes and the final test represents approximately 50 hours of study.

There are no scheduled live classes in the on-demand course. You can organise your study around your own availability while following the modules in sequence.

Skills you will have opportunities to practise

Through lectures, readings, quizzes, and optional practical exercises, you will have guided opportunities to practise:

Critical and legal reasoning

Identify legal and ethical questions, examine underlying assumptions and assess competing arguments about animals’ rights and legal status.

Reading and analysing legal material

Examine legislation, legal concepts, judicial decisions and institutional frameworks, paying attention to how legal reasoning shapes outcomes for animals.

Research

Identify relevant questions, engage with academic and legal sources and use evidence to support a structured analysis.

Comparative analysis

Compare legal approaches across jurisdictions and consider whether concepts or strategies developed in one legal system can be applied appropriately in another.

Strategic thinking

Consider the opportunities, limitations and possible consequences of different legal, political and advocacy approaches.

The on-demand format supports independent practice. Practical exercises are optional and self-assessed; they are not individually marked and do not include personalised feedback.

Constructing arguments

Develop clearer, better-supported legal and ethical arguments for use in research, policy, public communication or advocacy.

Explore the eight modules

Module 1: Introduction to Animal Rights Law

Dr Silvina Pezzetta will introduce the key concepts and definitions central to Animal Rights Law, laying the foundation for understanding the relationship between animals, law, and society. She will clarify the distinctions between ‘animal rights’ and ‘animal welfare,’ discuss the limitations of current legal protections, and explore the legal implications of animal sentience. Participants will also gain insights into the global challenges faced by Animal Rights Law today.

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Module 2: The Emergence of International and EU Animal Rights Law

Dr Elien Verniers will explore the historical foundations, current developments, and future potential of international and European Animal Rights Law. She will guide participants through the evolution of global and EU legal frameworks, tracing how international instruments, regional legislation, and institutional mechanisms have shaped the status and protection of non-human animals. She will also introduce emerging doctrines, like ‘Animal Rights Constitutionalism.’

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Module 3: Philosophical Foundations of Animal Rights

Professor Lori Gruen will explore the philosophical foundations of animal rights, examining key moral theories that shape the discourse on animals' legal status and treatment. She will guide participants through classical and contemporary philosophical perspectives, analysing their influence on Animal Rights Law and policy. Participants will engage with critiques of traditional theories and explore alternative approaches to understanding animal rights.

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Module 4: Continental Law vs. Common Law Perspectives

Dr Eva Bernet Kempers and Dr Joe Wills will co-teach a comparative analysis of continental (civil) law and common law traditions in their treatment of non-human animals. They will explore how each system conceptualises animals’ legal status, including their classification as property, and examine how evolving legal interpretations are reshaping approaches to animal welfare and legal personhood. Participants will be encouraged to critically reflect on how foundational legal structures influence both the limits and possibilities of Animal Rights Law across jurisdictions.

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Portrait of a man with dark hair, glasses, wearing a plaid shirt against a white background.

Module 5: Legal Theory of Animal Rights

Professor Visa Kurki will delve into legal theory of animal rights. He will introduce key legal theories and explore the capacity of animals to hold legal rights. Participants will examine the contentious issue of legal personhood for animals, questioning whether animals need this status to hold rights. Dr Kurki will guide reflections on how these theories and debates influence the future development of Animal Rights Law.

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Module 6: Animal Rights Jurisprudence

Dr Macarena Montes Franceschini will guide participants through landmark animal rights cases from across the globe, including the United States, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. She will examine six categories of jurisprudence—habeas corpus petitions, constitutional remedies, family law, criminal law, Rights of Nature, and symbolic cases—to illustrate how legal systems have addressed claims for animal rights and legal personhood. Participants will analyse the strategic litigation techniques and legal arguments employed by animal rights NGOs, and examine the judicial reasoning used to grant or deny rights to animals. The session offers a nuanced view of how courts, advocacy groups, and evolving legal doctrines shape the trajectory of Animal Rights Law.

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Module 7: Political Representation of Animals

Dr Pablo Magaña will explore the intersection of animal rights with legal advocacy and political representation. Participants will delve into political theories of animal rights, models of representation for animals, and the distinction between legal and political standing. The session will address complex questions around political rights of animals, their role in policymaking, and the institutional frameworks best suited to protect the interests of animals.

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Module 8: Animal Rights as a Social Movement

Professor Iselin Gambert will explore animal rights within the broader social justice landscape, tracing its historical development and intersections with movements like women's, civil, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Participants will examine the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of animal rights activism, including challenges posed by laws like 'ag-gag' and risks taken by activists, including criminal prosecution. They will also delve into concepts such as the 'right to rescue' and 'voluntary prosecution,' while discussing strategic alliances, capacity-building, and new movements like effective altruism.

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Quizzes, final test and certificate

Each module concludes with a short quiz designed to assess your understanding of its principal concepts and encourage active engagement with the material.

After completing the eight modules, you will take a final test covering the course’s foundational content.

To receive a CIARL On-Demand certificate of completion, you must:

  • complete the quiz for each of the eight modules;

  • complete the final test; and

  • achieve an overall score of at least 60% across the quizzes and final test.

The optional practical exercises do not contribute to the final score.

€50

On-Demand CIARL Course Fee

Apply to join CIARL on-demand course

CIARL On-Demand is free, and applications are open to adults worldwide. Admission is not based on an applicant’s ability to pay or possession of a formal legal qualification.

Prospective participants must first complete this short course application form. ICARE reviews each application to confirm basic eligibility, genuine interest and fit with the course. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

If your application is accepted, ICARE will invite you to complete a separate enrolment form. Once you have completed that form, you will receive the information needed to access the course through Google Classroom.

With the kind support of

  • Craigslist Charitable Fund logo with stylised purple and green animal and leaf design.

    http://craigslistfund.org/

  • Graphic with orange background representing the Pollination Project's logo, featuring a dandelion seed head and falling seeds.

    https://thepollinationproject.org/

  • Abstract geometric illustration of a fox's head and body in orange and black colors representing Manifund's logo.

    https://manifund.org/

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