September 17, 2025 Program Why Rescuing Animals Should Never Be a Crime
In this op-ed, Professors Kristen Stilt and Matthew Liebman argue that the law is constantly evolving to reflect our changing values. There was a time when a car window, shattered to save the life of a pet, would have more legal protection than the animal herself. Now, it is clear that the car may be damaged to save the animal inside. The courts should recognize that, with animals in agricultural settings, too, rescuers may violate lesser laws to prevent the more significant evil of animal suffering.
September 16, 2025 Program Latsis Prize 2025: Saskia Stucki aims to establish animal rights
Saskia Stucki, a researcher and senior lecturer at ZHAW and winner of the Latsis Swiss Science Prize 2025 (and former ALPP Visiting Fellow), is laying the theoretical foundations for recognising animal rights.
September 07, 2025 Program Harvard academics join call for the release of elephants from Johannesburg Zoo
The voices of two academics at the Harvard Law School will be added to the main application launched by animal welfare groups in which they are calling for the release of three elephants from the Johannesburg Zoo. The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria ordered that the academics may be added as friends of the court as they can deliver important insight into the application brought by Animal Law Reform South Africa, the EMS Foundation and Khoi Chief Stephen Fritz. They will at a later stage ask the court to order the confinement of Lammie, Mopane and Ramadibato to be unconstitutional.
August 31, 2025 Program Harvard Law School academics seek to join court case for release of elephants from Johannesburg Zoo
Academics at the Harvard Law School are expected to apply this week to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to be added as friends of the court in the ongoing legal battle to release three elephants from the Johannesburg Zoo. Animal Law Reform South Africa, the EMS Foundation and Khoi Chief Stephen Fritz have asked the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to order their confinement to be unconstitutional.