Animal law – legal scholarship focusing on animals in their own right – is on the rise. Traditionally, animals have been hidden within more established fields of law. In property law, for instance, animals have simply been treated as pieces of property. However, an increasing number of scholars now understand the legal status of animals as a distinct legal issue.

This volume presents 13 articles on animal law and animal rights. The contributions address these topics from a wide variety of angles, from the doctrinal analysis of current animal law to the philosophical examination of the idea of animal rights. The volume is organized into three parts: “Animal Law: A Field of Law in the Making”, “Animals in Nordic Legal Systems” and “Philosophical and Empirical Approaches”. The scientific coordinators for this volume have been Professor Mauro Zamboni, Stockholm University and Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellow Visa A.J. Kurki, University of Helsinki.