University News Last updated 13 July 2022
Dr. Iyan Offor, a Lecturer in Law, has published his research results in the Asian Journal of International Law, in an article titled 'Global Animal Law and the Problem of "Globabble": Toward Decoloniality and Diversity in Global Animal Law Studies'.
Dr Offor’s article forms part of a special collection stemming from the Early Career Workshop on Critical Perspectives on Global Law and the Environment, hosted by the University of Essex.
Global Animal Law and its decolonising
Global animal law has emerged as a new legal subdiscipline and area of study following the widespread proliferation of animal law and animal law studies across the globe. However, there remains confusion as to what exactly global animal law is, and there are concerns that early global animal law studies are entrenching norms that facilitate coloniality and neglect intersecting oppressions.
Dr Offor’s article intends to inspire a critical look at the global animal law scholarship to date in order to inspire the creation of pathways for Global South and marginalised actors to take up a more prominent place in debates and activism surrounding animals and the law.
Dr Offor’s article recommends diversifying and decolonising global animal law, relabelling some such work as western perspectives on animals and international law. Dr Offor also recommends focusing on deep, critical, and radical animal justice in lieu of welfarism or rights-based theory. Dr Offor’s article argues this could inspire a more interconnected and multilateral global animal lawscape.
Dr Offor says:
Dr Offor and other scholars published in the special issue spoke at the Critical Perspectives on Global Law and the Environment on 21 June, the event recording will be available here. The event web page can be accessed here. The article can be accessed here.