Animal Law Matters

Topics covered include:

• Siobhan's PhD thesis about the inconsistent and inequitable treatment of non-human animals, and that different species of animals have different visibility to humans and that visibility correlates to the legal protections afforded to those animals.
• Siobhan's book 'Animals, Equality and Democracy'.
• The 'Knowing Animals' podcast, which Siobhan hosts.
• Tips on how to help animals.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• Being an animal law specialist.
• How we know animals are sentient.
• The Sentient Animal Law Foundation (SAL).
• The 3-word law reform proposal.
• Recognising the importance of positive states of animal welfare. 

Topics covered include:

• Undertaking a PhD about the place of animals in the legal system.
• Advocating for the interests of animals, rather than legal personhood for animals.
• Volunteering with the Animal Defenders Office.
• Considering whether to study law to help animals.
• Running as an Animal Justice Party candidate. 
• Ending factory farming.
• Cell-based animal products.
• How to have conversations about the treatment of animals.
• Referring to animals using personal pronouns. 

Topics discussed include:

• International animal law.
• World Federation for Animals (see wfa.org).
• The various international law instruments (e.g. Conventions, resolutions and declarations).
• Jessica's research on the legal value of different international instruments and how they could be used to advance and protect animal interests.
• Jessica recently wrote a paper on the treatment of farm animals in Australia titled ‘A Fair Go for Farm Animals: How Australian Law Can Better Protect the Lives of Animals Used in the Agricultural Industry’. Jessica will present this paper at the Virtual Animal Legal Defence Fund Student Convention on September 25 2021. This paper will also be published in early 2022 in the journal 'Animal and Natural Resource Law Review (Michigan State University College of Law)'. 
• Jessica's recommendations for additional reading: ‘Studies in Global Animal Law'; 'Animal Liberation'; 'Animal Revolution: Changing Attitudes Towards Speciesism'; 'Animal Law in Australia (2nd ed)'.

Topics discussed include:

• The establishment of the Animal Defenders Office (ADO).
• Establishing a Community Legal Centre accredited with the National Association of Community Legal Centres.
• What it is like to practice as an animal lawyer in a Community Legal Centre.
• Examples of cases that Tara has worked on.
• Challenges and future goals of the ADO.
• Tips for people wanting to help animals.

Topics discussed include:

• Vet nursing.
• Caring for, and rehabilitating, domestic animals and wildlife.
• Studying law to help animals.
• Studying animal law.
• Animal sentience.
• Changing the law to better protect animals.

Topics discussed include:

• The Farm Transparency Project.
• Animal rights activism.
• The documentary 'Dominion'.
• 'Ag-gag' laws.
• The High Court challenge to the NSW Surveillance Devices Act 2007.
• Amending animal cruelty laws.
• Utilising your skills to help animals.

Topics discussed include:

• How the law regulates animal welfare.
• Whether the suffering of animals can ever be considered 'necessary'.
• The Australian Animal Welfare Standards.
• Model Codes of Practice or Codes of Cruelty?.
• Evaluating animal agricultural standards and guidelines.
• The Co-optation of PETA’s 'Naming and Shaming' Campaign Against Mulesing.
• Animal activism and incremental animal welfare improvements.
• The implications of pain relief for mulesing and other animal mutilation procedures.

Topics discussed include:

• Advocating for animals in the NSW Parliament.
• The Animal Justice Party.
• Working as a political Policy Advisor.
• Being elected to Parliament.
• Passing laws that benefit animals.

Topics discussed include:

• Acceptance and commitment therapy.
• Vystopia.
• Carnism.
• Self-care for activists.
• Animal activism.