Content description

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

Preliminary programme (changes still possible until 1/6/2026)

DAY 1 - Monday 17 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 that will be covered? We will discuss the evolution of animal ethics from the Cartesian denial of animal sentience to the recognition 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, and highlight the divide between animal rights, wildlife conservation, and animal welfare protection. These lenses will be applied to a set of case studies to discover how they lead to different outcomes. Furthermore, a critical view of animal rights will be presented by a sceptic of animal rights and animal personhood (Dr Johan Van de Voorde). By the end of the day, participants will be able to identify the main theories that have influenced our thinking about animals' moral status and rights, apply these theories to real-life scenarios, understand the critiques on animal rights, 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 Eva Bernet Kempers)
• 10.30-10.45 Coffee break 
• 10.45–12.00 Session 2: Ethical and Theoretical Perspectives on Animal Rights  (Dr Eva Bernet Kempers)
• 12.00–13.30 Lunch
• 13.30–15.00 Session 3: A Critical View on Animal Rights (Dr Johan Van de Voorde, University of Antwerp)
• 15.00-15.15: Coffee break 
• 15.15–16.30 Session 4 - Workshop: The Great Debate
• 16.30–16.45 End-of-Day Quiz
• 17.00 Welcome Drink

DAY 2 - Tuesday 18 August: The Current Legal Paradigm and Its Shortcomings

The second day examines existing laws addressing animals at the national, European, and international levels. First, the basic assumptions of the 'welfarist regime' will be explored, and during a Workshop we will look into the different animal protection laws and provisions in your own countries. Attention will be given to different regimes for animals in the wild, animals kept for production, and animals kept as companions. We will also analyze the ratio legis of these laws: their underlying intentions and motivations, and the main shortcomings. A look at the history of animal protection instruments will reveal how their rationale has evolved to become less anthropocentric. Guest lecturers will provide insights into the EU-framework for farmed animal protection and international regimes for the protection of wildlife. By the end of the day, participants will have an extensive and in-depth overview of current laws addressing animals and their shortcomings.

Guest lecturers include Alice Di Concetto (European Institute for Animal Law & Policy) and Dr Veerle Platvoet (Max Planck Institute for Public International Law). 

Time Schedule

• 9:30–11:00 Session 5: Animals Under a Welfarist Regime (Dr Eva Bernet Kempers)
• 11.00-11.15 Coffee Break
• 11.15–12.00 Session 6- Workshop: Animal Protection Law in Your Country (Dr Eva Bernet Kempers) 
• 12.00–13.30 Lunch
• 13.30–15.00 Session 7: Farmed animal protection in EU Law (Alice Di Concetto, The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy)
• 15.00-15.15 Coffee Break
• 15.15–16.45 Session 8: Wild animal law v. Welfare law: a dichotomy? (Dr Veerle Platvoet, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law).
• 16.45–17.00 End-of-Day Quiz

DAY 3 - Wednesday 19 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 and continental 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 move to the 'practice' of animal rights, and look at the ways in which animal rights have been recognized in legislation and litigation. We will conduct an in-depth analysis of an animal rights case (Happy the elephant), contrasting it with other cases worldwide. A guest lecturer will furthermore explore the specifics of animal law developments in Latin America. 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, how they are translated into actual legislation, and how conflicts between these rights can be managed.

Guest lecturers include Dr Raffael Fasel (University of Cambridge) and Marcia Condoy Truyenque (University of Helsinki, Finland and Founder of DA Derecho Animal Peru)

Time Schedule

• 9:30–10:30 Session 9: Legal Theory of Animal Rights (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 10.30-10.45 Coffee Break 
• 10.45–12.00 Session 10: Human Rights and Animal Rights (Dr Raffael Fasel, University of Cambridge)
• 12.00–13:30 Lunch
• 13.30–15.00 Session 11: Animal Rights in Litigation and Legislation (Dr Bernet Kempers)
• 15:00-15.15 Coffee Break 
• 15.15–16.45 Session 12: Animal law in the Latin American legal landscape (Marcia Condoy Truyenque, University of Helsinki) 
• 16.45-17.00  End-of-Day Quiz

DAY 4 - Thursday 20 August: Animal Law in Action – Representing Animals in Politics and Law 

Day 4 centers on the question of 'animal representation'. Who can and should represent animals in court or in politics? We begin with a discussion to define models of animal representation, legal as well as political. After that, we go into the ethics of representing animals in court and look at the legal representation of animal rights activists in court. In the afternoon, participants will become animal representatives themselves in an interactive exercise. By the end of the day, students will have a grasp of how animals can be represented or become plaintiffs in legal cases, and will have practiced themselves with representing animals. 

Gues lecturers include Dr Katharina Braun and Dr Søren Stig Andersen (University of Copenhagen) . 

Time Schedule

• 9:30–10:30 Session 13. Representing Animals in Court (Dr Eva Bernet Kempers)
• 10.45-12.00 Session 14. The Law and Ethics of Animal Rights Activism (Dr Katharina Braun)
• 12.00-13.30 Lunch 
• 13.30- 16.45 Session 15. Interactive Exercise - more information follows
• 16.45-17.00 End-of-Day Quiz

DAY 5 - Friday 21 August - The Future of Animal Rights and the Role of Animal Organizations

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. We will focus in particular on the role of animal organizations in furthering animal rights throughout the world. The main animal rights organization of Belgium (GAIA) will share their strategies for furthering animal rights, and the main Swiss animal protection organization Tier im Recht will speak about their strategies, campains, and animal law-library. 

Guest lectures include Michel Vandenbosch (GAIA), Dr Søren Stig Andersen (University of Copenhagen) and Moena Zeller (Tier im Recht, Switzerland). 

Time Schedule

• 9:30–10.45  Session 16.  The role of Animal Organizations in Europe (Dr Søren Stig Andersen, University of Copenhagen)
• 10.45-11.00 Coffee Break 
• 11.00–12.30 Session 17. Animal Rights Action in Belgium (Michel Vandenbosch, President of GAIA)
• 12.30–14.00 Lunch
• 14:00-15.15 Session 18. Animal Rights Action in Switzerland (Moena Zeller, Tier im Recht). 
• 15.15-15.30 Coffee Break 
• 15.30–16.00 Session 19: Future Perspectives on Animal Rights (Dr Bernet Kempers)
  
• 16.00-16.15 Session 20.  Summary and Final Quiz
• 16:30 Closing Drink and Certificates (Agora)

​Third-year bachelor and master's students in Law. Participants should have at least completed 2 full years of higher education in a relevant field of study. Professionals with relevant experience in the field are also welcome to apply.

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

Successful completion of the summer school can be awarded with 3 credits according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Credits will be awarded by the University of Antwerp based on 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.

To include the credits in the curriculum at the home institution, participants need an agreement with the responsible person at their university. University of Antwerp students eligible to include the ECTS credits as part of their study programme must register via Mobility Online and SisA.

All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential. Participants who attend the scheduled course contact hours, but don't complete the tasks will receive a certificate of attendance.

Upon completion of the course, participants will:

• 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