| Status | Exploratory |
| Primary Work Area | Legal and Legislative |
| Website | Animal Justice |
| Review Published | December, 2016 |
Animal Justice engages in legal work on behalf of animals in Canada. They are working to improve legal protections for animals and enshrine animal rights into Canadian law. They also push for the vigorous enforcement of existing laws that protect animals. Animal Justice works to promote and develop the field of animal law in Canada by providing a gathering point for lawyers interested in the field, producing public writings, speaking at events, and mentoring animal law clubs in Canadian law schools.
Animal Justice engages in legal work on behalf of animals in Canada. They are working to improve legal protections for animals and enshrine animal rights into Canadian law. They also push for the vigorous enforcement of existing laws that protect animals. Animal Justice works to promote and develop the field of animal law in Canada by providing a gathering point for lawyers interested in the field, producing public writings, speaking at events, and mentoring animal law clubs in Canadian law schools.
Animal Justice advances the interests of animals through public outreach and advertising, and occasionally pressuring businesses to make more animal-friendly choices. Through a project called Humane Voters Canada, Animal Justice endorses, promotes, and mobilizes resources towards political candidates who are strong on animal protection. They aim to make animal rights issues highly visible in a way that legislators, courts, and the public can’t ignore.
Impact Evaluation:
Focus on Effectiveness
By focusing on goals that are important but achievable, Animal Justice hopes to maximize the impact of their work. For now, they focus on filing legal complaints and intervening in court cases rather than bringing their own litigation. Intervening allows them the opportunity to influence the outcome of court cases, but it takes less time and effort than filing lawsuits in their own name. One downside of focusing on intervening is that Animal Justice can’t control what cases are being argued at a given time.
Executive Director Camille Labchuk has stated that she seeks out “groundbreaking test cases that result in positive change for animals.” For example, Animal Justice intervened on behalf of animals in a Canadian Supreme Court case regarding bestiality— the first time the Court heard a case about animals’ interests in being free from harmful conduct. While the outcome itself was not favorable, the ruling is still a strong legal precedent for animals as it marks the first time in Canadian legal history that the country’s top court has recognized that protecting animals is a fundamental societal value. Moreover, it was a split decision, with the dissent adopting Animal Justice’s arguments.
Limited Track Record
Animal Justice was founded in 2008. Now with five core team members, it is a relatively small and young charity. They have achieved a number of recent successes and they may be picking up momentum, but their track record is limited relative to other, more established groups. We may see more positive results of their efforts in the future as they continue working to influence new legislation.