Animal Law & Legal Issues

There is a growing body of law relating to how we humans should as a matter of human rights be protected for beliefs relating to the treatment of, and in particular the eating of animals. Vegans are beginning to acquire the rights of a protected minority whose beliefs are to be respected.  

There are also Animal Laws that are based on statutory and case law that relate to animals: companion animals, wildlife and animals used in entertainment, research and ones raised for food. 

Here are some of our stories on this interesting and growing area:

• a firefighter from Ontario claims that not being given vegan food during several days of physically demanding 16 hour days fighting wildfires contravenes his human rights;
• a top lawyer claims that vegans should be exempted from work tea rounds and that veganism should be a “protected characteristic” under the Equality Act 2010 ;
• an Indian High Court awards animals “legal personhood”;
• the Australian government to demonise animal activists as agri-terrorists;
• Mississippi politicians get into a tangle about what to call vegan meat;
• Harvard Law School establishes a new Animal Rights course;
• Australia passes tough laws targeting militant vegans for farm trespassing in the aftermath of the vegan protests that rocked the country;
• a Scottish council now offers vegan food at schools;
• is it possible that a vegan voting alliance may one day emerge in American politics?;
• an unhappy vegan sues Burger King in a class action for contamination because his Impossible Burger had been cooked on a grill shared with real meat burgers;
• a David & Goliath legal battle is set to be fought out in the United States Patent and Trademark Office about the rights to trademark “the Vegan Butcher”;
• the National Farmers Union has accused the BBC of a lack of impartiality as a result of its Christmas fetive video featuring model turkeys with “I love vegans” jumpers pointing to an increase of animal-free meals.