October is home to World Animal Week (4-10 October); a celebration of animals that helps to raise awareness and standards of animal protection worldwide. As such, there are a number of notable events across Australia exploring current animal protection ideas in which Voiceless is involved.
- Voiceless Legal Counsel, Ruth Hatten, will be speaking at the Animal Activists Forum, an annual event focused on building the animal activist movement. Ruth will discuss the commercial hunting of kangaroos while other speakers at the event will discuss animal law, methods to increase the skills and effectiveness of Australian activists, raise networking and showcase effective campaigns. Animal Activist Forum 2012 will be held in Sydney on the weekend of 20-21 October 2012.
- Animal Action Day is an annual worldwide event to raise awareness, appreciation and respect for all animals and the environment. This year's events took place on 14 October, with one event held in Mermaid Beach in Queensland generously donating proceeds to Voiceless.
- University of Western Australian will host a discussion and Q&A event on 16 October at 5pm at UWA's Fox Lexture Theatre; "Does Animal Protection Law Protect Animals?" A seminar on Animal Welfare. Open to the general public, the event will include speakers Ian Weldon, Tony Karstaedt and Maike Dorn who will provide a general talk on such issues as the way animals are treated in law and the history behind this, the practice of animal law and possibilities for future developments in this area.
- In response to the shocking 7.30 investigation into pig dogging in Australia, the NSW Greens will host a public event, "Pig dog hunting: conservation or cruelty?", on 25 October at NSW Parliament House from 5-7pm with Voiceless Legal Counsel Ruth Hatten speaking at the event.
- Dr Melissa Perry QC, member of the Voiceless Council, will speak at Tomorrow’s Law: the future of animal law, an event presented by the Centre for Legal Governance, Macquarie Law School and RSPCA Australia. Dr Perry will discuss intensive factory farming, administrative law values and the rule of law.
- Also on the animal protection calendar, the Australian Veterinary Forensics and Law Conference will be held on the Gold Coast in December. Ruth Hatten has two separate speaking positions in the conference to discuss the law as it impacts on kangaroos and factory farmed animals.
Animal law essay competition opens
The 2012 annual animal law essay competition for law students and legal practitioners is now open with the NSW Young Lawyers Animal Law Committee calling for entries.
Established in 2006, the competition is proudly supported by Voiceless and PALS @ PILCH and generates interest and scholarship in Animal Law in Australia. Previous winners have explored the continuation of exotic animal circuses, animal sentience and cruelty and religious slaughter.
The Committee is inviting current law students, practical legal training students or young lawyers (practitioners under the age of 36, or in the first five years of practice) to enter. First prize will receive $500 from Voiceless and the opportunity to be published in the Australian Animal Protection Law Journal while second prize will receive $300 from PALS @ PILCH and third prize will receive $150 from the Committee.
The essays will be judged by a panel of four judges including Voiceless’s Legal Counsel Ruth Hatten.
Entries are due by Friday, 2 November 2012 at 5pm.