Animals as Sentient Beings
-
Carla M. Zoethout
Associate Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Abstract
The twenty-first century is witnessing a number of initiatives to improve the living conditions of animals - worldwide, at the regional and the national level. While the debate on which status should be granted to animals is still undecided, a consensus has emerged about the need for animal welfare and the (moral and legal) obligations of humans towards non-human animals. Today, animal welfare and our moral obligations towards animals have come to be accepted as part of public morality. This article draws attention to this change in moral and legal thinking over the past decades. The consequences of this change are put to the test with regard to a specific protective measure concerning animals - the prohibition of un-stunned (ritual) slaughter. It will be argued that if public morality in the 21st century does indeed include respect for the welfare of animals, it may serve as a legitimate aim to limit the freedom of religion and with that, the practice of un-stunned ritual slaughter.
About the author
Associate Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
© 2017 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Inhalt
- Articles
- Some Constitutional Thoughts about the Islamic Full Veil Ban in Europe
- Animals as Sentient Beings
- Understood But Undefined: Why Do Argentina and Brazil Resist Criminalising Terrorism?
- Notes
- Present and Future Relations between the ECJ and the ECtHR
- Developments Austria
- Focus: Same-Sex Partnership in Austria
- Same-Sex Partnership and right to a name
- The competence of the District Administrative Authority instead of the Office for matters of Personal Status to conclude a registered Partnership
- Non-Discrimination between Weddings and the Conclusion of Registered Partnerships: The Ferris Wheel goes round?
- ESM Treaty in accordance with the Austrian constitution
- Developments CEE
- Hungarian Constitutional Court: The Rules of Criminal Procedure in High Priority Cases
- Slovak Constitutional Court: Interpretation of the Constitution established a new gap in the constitutional system
Articles in the same Issue
- Inhalt
- Articles
- Some Constitutional Thoughts about the Islamic Full Veil Ban in Europe
- Animals as Sentient Beings
- Understood But Undefined: Why Do Argentina and Brazil Resist Criminalising Terrorism?
- Notes
- Present and Future Relations between the ECJ and the ECtHR
- Developments Austria
- Focus: Same-Sex Partnership in Austria
- Same-Sex Partnership and right to a name
- The competence of the District Administrative Authority instead of the Office for matters of Personal Status to conclude a registered Partnership
- Non-Discrimination between Weddings and the Conclusion of Registered Partnerships: The Ferris Wheel goes round?
- ESM Treaty in accordance with the Austrian constitution
- Developments CEE
- Hungarian Constitutional Court: The Rules of Criminal Procedure in High Priority Cases
- Slovak Constitutional Court: Interpretation of the Constitution established a new gap in the constitutional system
