Joe Wills
@drjoewills
Associate Professor, University of Leicester. Research interests: animal rights law, human rights law, legal theory. 🌱
Michigan Supreme Court denies Nonhuman Rights Project’s habeas appeal on behalf of chimpanzees in a roadside zoo. 1 dissent by Justice Welch argues the court should consider scientific evidence about chimps to determine if habeas rights should be expanded. www.courts.michigan.gov/4a099b/sitea...
Hearing the news that many thousands of sentient beings died in extreme suffering and thinking 'what a waste of resources!' is so indicative of all that is wrong with how humans view the other animals.
Delighted to have attended the launch of ‘Lawyers for Animals’ at Gray’s Inn last night. A new animal law working on prosecuting factory farms, defending animal rights activists and exploring pathways to advance animal rights through the legal system. An inspiring event. Exciting times!
Michigan Court of Appeals denies that animals can be 'persons' in law because they cannot participate in the social contract. Again with that tired old chestnut? www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/c...
The case concerns when a plaintiff can sue for negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED) in relation to harms experienced by the companion animals. The ruling is quite narrow:
The Colorado Supreme Court rejects a habeas corpus appeal to free elephants suffering chronic stress in captivity. It lazily regurgitates all the bad arguments that courts have used in the past to dismiss these lawsuits. Judgment here: www.coloradojudicial.gov/system/files... 🧵
In the evening we had a cheese board with cheese made by plant-based company Honestly Tasty.
The photo doesn’t do it justice but Christmas dinner was mushroom and chestnut wellington and lentil and butternut squash baklava with all the trimmings. For dessert we had Yule log and vanilla ice cream (no picture):
Obligatory vegan Christmas food photos thread! All good courtesy of my sister, brother-in-law and wife. First, for brunch smoked carrot ‘lox’ on bagels with plant-based cream cheese and croissants.
If you’re arguing about the environmental benefits of torturing tens of billions of sentient beings every year then frankly you’ve lost your moral compass.
Supreme Court of Western Australia hands down its decision in a defamation case bought by a veterinarian against strident vegan activist Tash Peterson. Court rules, amongst other things, that calling a meat-consuming vets the "type of vets that eat your own patients" is not defamatory: