Join us for the symposium on Associate Professor Jane Kotzmann and Associate Professor Joanna Kyriakakis’ book, Animal Law in Australasia: A Quiet Crisis
📍 Location: Deakin Downtown, Collins Street
📅 Date: 14 July 2025
⏰Time: 4:15pm – 6pm
Animal Law in Australasia: A Quiet Crisis
Animal law, as a field of legal education, research and practice, is now treated with more seriousness than ever before. Regionally and globally, there are discrete animal law units available to students and an increasing number of animal law research hubs.
This new book on animal law taps into the strong interest in the area and provides a critical exploration of current issues in animal law. The ‘quiet crisis’ referred to in the subtitle acknowledges that while the area of animal law may be more popular, there remain many troubling and little discussed aspects of present-day human-animal relations.
The book covers many of the systemic problems that exist in our treatment of non-human animals. Some of these are long standing; others have become more acute in recent years, such as the impact of climate change and the implications of pandemics caused by zoonotic diseases.
Structured around three parts, the book covers three key themes. Part I of the book examines foundational concepts in animal law; Part II investigates key issues in contemporary animal law; and Part III reflects on law reform.
The editors, Jane Kotzmann, Associate Professor at Deakin University, and Joanna Kyriakakis, Associate Professor at Monash University, have brought together an excellent group of contributors who are experts in the field. They include academics, lawyers, and policy advisors.
Animal Law in Australasia provides students with the most up-to-date understanding of the significant themes and issues in animal law today.
If you would like to join, please sign up here.
Contents of Animal Law in Australasia: A Quiet Crisis
Foreword
The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG
Introduction
Jane Kotzmann and Joanna Kyriakakis
Part I: Foundational Concepts
Chapter 1 – Does the Legal Recognition of Animal Sentience in Australia and New Zealand Constitute a Dereification of Animals?
Jane Kotzmann and Morgan Stonebridge
Chapter 2 – Legal Personhood and Animals
Joanna Kyriakakis
Chapter 3 – Implications of Recognising the Human Right to a Healthy Environment for Animal Protection in Australia
Meg Good
Part II: Key Issues in Contemporary Animal Law
Chapter 4 – The Failure of Codes of Welfare in New Zealand
Marcelo B Rodriguez Ferrere
Chapter 5 – Leveraging Food Labelling for Animal Advocacy: A Strategic Approach
Christine Parker and Hope Johnson
Chapter 6 – Animals as Killable Objects: Lessons from Australia on the Use of Definitions in Cat Management
Sophie Riley
Chapter 7 – Farmed Animals, Legal Status, and Disaster Vulnerability
Ashleigh P A Best
Chapter 8 – Countering Illegal Wildlife Trade in China in the Wake of COVID-19: Implications for Australasia
Amanda Whitfort
Chapter 9 – Shooting the Messenger: The Criminalisation of Animal Advocacy in Australia
Serrin Rutledge-Prior
Chapter 10 – Artificial Intelligence and Non-human Animals: A Multi-Species Justice Approach for AI Law and Governance
Christine Parker, Lev Bromberg and Simon Coghlan
Part III: Animal Law Reform
Chapter 11 – The Politics of Achieving Reforms for Animals
Emma Hurst and Tess Vickery
Chapter 12 – The Case for Cameras: Rectifying the Ineffectual Enforcement Regime for Animal Welfare Offending in Aotearoa New Zealand
Danielle Duffield
Chapter 13 – Strengthening the Nexus between Animal Science and Law
Alexandra Whittaker
Chapter 14 – Educating for Empathy: How Sentimental Education Can Contribute to Animal Law Reform
Morgan Stonebridge and Jane Kotzmann
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