Jérôme de Hemptinne in Talking Animals, Law & Philosophy

Please join us for our fifth event in this term's Talking Animals, Law & Philosophy series, organised by the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law. Jérôme de Hemptinne, Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, will discuss "The protection of animals during warfare”. The event will take place on Thursday 13th March, 5-6.30pm (UK time) on Zoom. This event is open to all and a recording will be made available on our website afterwards. Abstract: Whether domestic, wild, or liminal, all animals are particularly vulnerable during times of war. They often suffer from widespread slaughter, bombings, starvation, and looting. During armed conflicts, animals such as dogs, horses, mules, donkeys, and camels frequently face killing, injury, or abandonment on the battlefield without any medical care. In the ensuing chaos, many protected species are poached for their ivory, fur, organs, skin, bones, and other valuable products, leading to rampant trafficking. Consequently, certain animal populations are plummeting at an unprecedented rate, severely disrupting the delicate ecological balance of fragile ecosystems. So, how are these animals safeguarded in such dire circumstances? This presentation will critically analyze how existing laws of war aim to protect animals and propose ways to enhance these laws by incorporating advancements in animal protection from other contexts.