Document type: training announcement published by SciencesCONF
Author: SciencesCONF
Preview: The Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC, UMR 7178) and the Centre d'Études Internationales et Européennes (CEIE) are hosting a three-day seminar on animal law and a one-day seminar on the application of ethology to law and ethics in Strasbourg. These seminars are open to the public. They will take place from Tuesday, January 12, through Friday, January 15, 2027.
By the end of the seminar, participants will have gained a thorough understanding and mastery of French law as it applies to animals, enabling them to: reflect on the conditions that would provide more effective animal protection in the use of sentient beings for food, scientific, recreational, or other purposes; effectively help and support all individuals who are directly or indirectly involved with animals, as well as those whose professional roles include regulatory enforcement, provision of advice or defence of those required to comply with the law; gain a deeper understanding of animals and their environments in order to propose appropriate regulations.
The first three days will cover the entire field: first the history and development of animal law, the definition of animals and animal sentience, the legal status of animals in France and recent developments, animals living in the wild; second, comparative, European, and international law, religious traditions and practices, the use of animals in scientific research, and the constitutional protection of animals; and third, companion animals, animals in captivity (circuses, dolphinariums, and zoos), animals in the food chain, and the patentability of living organisms. This seminar on the application of ethology to law and ethics—an introduction to animal ethics, animal consciousness, ontologies, and anthropomorphism, as well as animal welfare—will provide a better understanding of the differences in sentience, perception, and intelligence among animals.
Th event will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the legal status of animals. Can we recognize great apes as “non-human persons”? Can we do the same for a worm or an ant? Where do we draw the line? For example, we will discuss the distinction between sensation and sentience, the latter implying a minimum level of consciousness. Linking ethology and law in this way will allow us to reflect on the place of animals in our legal system. Coffee breaks featuring poster sessions will take place each afternoon, and the days will conclude with coffee.
To register, please follow this link:
https://dr10.azur-colloque.fr/inscription/fr/119/inscription
