Facebook RSVP When: Tuesday, April 21, 6:00pm Where: Harvard campus, Science Center E Oxford and Harvard philosopher Derek Parfit is described by Encyclopaedia Britannica as “the most important moral philosopher of the 20th and early 21st centuries”. The New Yorker called his books “the most important works to be written in the field in more than a century.” He will be discussing personal…
By Jeffrey Skopek The New York Times Magazine has just published an interesting piece on the Nonhuman Rights Project and Steven Wise, whose mission is to change the common law status of at least some nonhuman animals from “mere things” to “legal persons.” (I have previously written on their work here). It is widely agreed, among both advocates…
By Jeffrey Skopek In the past few months, the Copenhagen Zoo has killed a giraffe and four lions in order to protect the genetic health of their breeding populations, generating significant international backlash and highlighting difficult questions about the value of species preservation. The international controversy surrounding the zoo’s actions began in February, when it…
By Michelle Meyer You might think that the answer to this question is obvious. Clearly, it’s your business, and yours alone, right? I mean, sure, maybe it would be considerate to discuss the potential ramifications of this activity with your partner. And you might want to consider the welfare of the bee. But other than…
By The Petrie-Flom Center
By Jeffrey Skopek Yesterday, the International Court of Justice ruled that the Japanese government must halt its whaling program in the Antarctic pursuant to its obligations under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. At issue in this case was Article VIII of the Convention, which allows a member state to issue permits authorizing…
By The Petrie-Flom Center
By Timo Minssen Please find attached a ppt presentation on “New regulatory pathways and incentives for sustainable antibiotics: Recent European & US Initiatives” given on March 7, 2014 at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The presentation was followed by a discussion moderated by US patent attorney Melissa Hunter-Ensor, Partner at Saul Ewing, Boston. I…
By Jeffrey Skopek In 1386, a female pig was put on trial in France for causing the death of a child by tearing his face and arms. Trials such as this were not uncommon in medieval Europe. As E.P. Evans describes in The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, the same procedural rules applied…
By Jeffrey Skopek Last week, a World Trade Organization panel ruled that EU restrictions on the import of seal products are justified under a free trade exception for trade restrictions that are “necessary to protect public morals.” This is the first time that the WTO has backed a trade restriction grounded on concerns for animal welfare….
