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Event details

Date and time:

Animal Law in the UK and EU

With Aleesha Simoncini

When: 22 October 2025, 1pm-2pm

Where: Deakin Burwood Campus, LC7.032 Moot Court Boardroom or via zoom

On 22 October, Aleesha Simoncini will be delivering a seminar reflecting on her learnings from two prestigious summer schools in Oxford, United Kingdom and Antwerp, Belgium, in the area of animal law.

 

Through Deakin’s Centre for Law as Protection, Aleesha attended Oxford’s Centre for Animal Ethics’ 10th Annual Summer School on the Ethics of Animals in Captivity at Merton College, organised by Andrew and Clair Linzey. This summer school examined the treatment of animals in entertainment, farming, experimentation and domestic settings, drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from law, philosophy, science and ethics.

 

 

At the end of August, Aleesha participated in the University of Antwerp’s summer school on Animal Law, Rights and Representation, organised by Eva Bernet Kempers. This intensive summer school unpacked the history of animal law, animal ethics, animal welfare vs animal rights and representing animals in court. A highlight included undertaking a moot court which was judged by Eva Bernet Kempers, Ankita Shanker from World Moot on International Law and Animal Rights and Katharina Braun.

 

Aleesha’s seminar on 22 October will explore key themes from both programs, with a particular emphasis on how the UK and EU are leading the way in animal law and how Australia can follow their lead. The discussion will have a specific focus on animal law in relation to farmed animals, who endure some of the greatest suffering on the largest scale, and examine how we can use the law to drive meaningful change for some of these vulnerable beings.

 

 

Aleesha Simoncini’s bio: 
Aleesha is an animal law research assistant and final year Law and Environmental Science student at Deakin University. For the past three and a half years, she has been volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary, Edgar’s Mission, doing animal enrichment and more recently, community guided tours. Since 2025, Aleesha has been working on a research project on transitioning out of dairy with A/Prof Jane Kotzmann and A/Lecturer Morgan Stonebridge. Aleesha presented at the 2026 Animal Rights Forum in Sydney on A Roadmap Towards a Kinder Future for Cows, Other Animals, People, and the Planet, and ran a guest animal lecture at La Trobe Law School on Farmed Animal Law in 2026. In 2025, Aleesha presented a seminar on Animal Law in the UK and EU and Lessons for Australia, at Deakin Law School after animal law training in Belgium and Oxford. Aleesha began advocating for animals at 15 years old, delivering school and radio presentations, and has experience working with wildlife, farmed animals and conducting field work.

If you would like to attend this seminar, please email law-as-protection@deakin.edu.au, we look forward to seeing you there!