Animal Law in Australasia

Contributors to the text are from Australia and New Zealand and include academics, practitioners and politicians. Some of the topics covered include farm animals and welfare law, the regulation of companion animals, the use of animals in research, dog control legislation, animals in entertainment, the use of codes in animal welfare, the application of welfare standards to fish, the impact of WTO regulation on domestic efforts to control cruelty, and Australia’s regulatory regime for live exports. The text raises interesting philosophical and regulatory issues affecting domestic, non-domestic and wild animals. This thought-provoking and pioneering text will absorb those interested in theories about animal rights. Read full review… – Jane Grace, Ethos, ACT Law Society, September 2014

For those interested in or working in areas of animal welfare legislation, policy, codes and guidelines, enactment, monitoring or lobbying, the book offers valuable information and insights. Whether your purpose is to understand those calling for major changes in our legislative approach to animal welfare or to work more effectively to that end, you will find value here. – Dr Michael Hayward, Australian Veterinary Journal, September 2014

Reviews of previous edition:

This compilation is the first major Australasian textbook to be released in the burgeoning field of animal law … it presents the substantive law one would expect of a textbook … the contributors include academics in law, science and politics, practising lawyers, inhouse counsel for animal protection organisations and a politician. Between them they cover issues practical and theoretical, local and international, and canvass the legal regulation (or more accurately deregulation) of cruelty across a range of sectors, such as farming, science and sport. … This book will doubtless provoke further debate and critical analysis as public consciousness of the plight of animals increases. – David Glasgow, Secretary, Lawyers for Animals Inc., LIJ May 2010

The book is compelling reading for anyone with a strong interest in animal welfare, but is also a commendable read for students of jurisprudence, and those interested in a broader understanding of the concept of the law and the way in which legal regulation can promote social good. – NZ Lawer, June 2010

Animal Law in Australasia is a comprehensive effort with 17 chapters by 15 contributors. Despite the number of authors there is a consistency of style throughout that is testimony to the efforts of the editors.

It is refreshing, then, to see a book such as this – scholarly in approach but accessible in style – refining the quality of discourse and framing, as the subtitle proposes, a new dialogue. – Auckland University Law Review, September 2009

Animal Law in Australasia is a highly informative and well researched text on the current Australian and New Zealand law regulating the interaction between humans and animals. It is an ideal reference as it provides extensive footnotes, a case table, a legislation table and a detailed index. It would be of general interest to anyone intersted in the field of animal law, and animal protection law more specifically, but readers without legal training may find certain sections less accessible…this first edition does an excellent job of examining a broad range of legal issues in relation to animals and provides an invaluable resource. – Rural Society Journal, Vol 19 Issue 3, 2009

For the sake of the hundreds of millions of animals that suffer incalculably in Australia and New Zealand each year, hopefully this book will serve as a catalyst for positive change. The book is a heavy and often dispiriting real, but its underlying message is an optimistic one. By drawing upon the best principles of justice and compassion that underlie liberal democracy, Animal Law in Australasia shines a beacon of light for our legislators and judges to follow if they are brave enough to withstand the sheer power of the opposing force. – Deakin Law Review, Volume 14 No 1, 2009

…for those interested in the area who would like to find out more about the opinions of practitioners, academics and other leaders inthis field, it is a book worth exploring. – Law Society Journal of NSW, August 2009

A change is finally in the air for nonhumans

…for anyone involved in the legal side of animal welfare and rights, this book will provide a scholarly review of what’s going down in the southern hemisphere. – Vegan Voice, No 38 June-August 2009

This book is a scholarly examination of the legal relationship between humans and animals in Australai and New Zealand…The questions explored go beyond animal welfare and challenge the reader to think about the nature of legal interests, and practical and ethical contexts for a range of laws. – Law Society of South Australia, June 2009