University of Galway has announced the introduction a course on animal law for undergraduate law students in Ireland, starting this month.

The course was announced by Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan and will be open to students from second to fourth year, along with occasional students.

The course starts this month and will run for 12 weeks, inspired by both the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law and the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.

Students signing up to the Animal Law course will learn the following:

The History of Animal Law in Britain and specifically in Ireland;
Comparison between Animal Welfare Act 2006 (UK) and Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (Ireland);
The role of politicians, charities and NGOs in Ireland;
Single issue campaigns in Ireland: fur farming, greyhound racing, puppy farms, live export trade;
Changing conceptions of animals; theories of animal rights;
The rights of vegetarians and vegans under EU and national laws.

The course will cover international, European and EU laws and conventions, along with also including philosophy and theory as well as "black-letter" law.

Dr O’Sullivan said she was not expecting high take up in the first year, yet student numbers are high, which she said demonstrates the students' awareness of "controversial treatment of animals".

“Students will gain expertise in an area of law that currently is not taught anywhere else in the Republic of Ireland.

"It aims to be an academically-focused course, where many assumptions will be questioned. It will also be practical in parts, where the law will be studied in detail," Dr. O'Sullivan said.

“There will also be an element of political science, because many changes come about through lobbying and raising public consciousness. The course will also equip graduates to work with, or for, animal welfare and rights-based charities," Dr. O'Sullivan added.

Dr. O'Sullivan holds degrees from several different universities and jurisdictions including University of Edinburgh, University of the West of England, University of Warwick, and the University College Cork (UCC).

She supervises Ph.D. students in areas which span biotechnological patents, open-source software, land law, and animal rights.

She is also chair of the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee and has been head of school, as well as having been director of the BA in Public and Social Policy from 2013-2016.

She is also a fellow of the Oxford Centre for animal ethics, and was chair of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland from 2013-2019.