LEGAL POSITION OF ANIMALS IN CIVIL LAW: FROM OBJECTS TO SUBJECTS OF LAW
Abstract
The legal position of animals in civil law, as well as in other branches of law, seeks its foundations in moral / ethical principles. Various philosophical debates have often been a stumbling block to the recognition of the moral rights of animals. The historical challenge has led to courts around the world, casually, challenging moral rights, making decisions in not the best interest of animals. We have witnessed, throughout history, different points of view and approaches to their legal position. Starting from the status of an object of property, which did not exercise legal protection because of its value, but because of the interests of people, all the way to the current view that animals are at the same time subjects and objects of rights. Today, their sui generis legal subjectivity gives them legal capacity for some non-property rights. Also, their specificity is reflected in the fact that at the same time they have the legal position of the objects of law, and property. Although these are living beings who have a developed nervous system, feelings of pain, suffering, stress, fear and the like, the law "worked" exclusively in one direction: distinguishing humans from animals.
References
Favre 2012: David Favre. „An International Treaty for Animal Welfare“. Animal Law Review, Vol. 18.
Kant 2015: Immanuel Kant. The Metaphysics of Morals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 19th ed. Originally published 1797.
Nozick 1974: Robert Nozick. Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York: Basic Books, 39.
Peters 2021: Anne Peters. Animals in International law. The Hague Academy of International Law.
- Garner, “A Defense of a Broad Animal Protectionism”, in G. Francione and R. Garner, The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition or Regulation?, New York, Columbia University Press, 2010.
Regan 2004: Tom Regan. The Case for Animal Rights, updated with a new preface, Berkeley. University of California Press, 329.
Steiner 2008: Gary Steiner. Animals as Persons. New York: Columbia University Press.
- N. Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, New York, Vintage Books, 2014, p. 42.
Zakon o dobrobiti životinja, "Sl. glasnik RS", br. 41/2009.
Водинелић – Станковић 2007: Владимир Водинелић – Обрен Станковић. Грађанско право: Увод у грађанско право. Београд: Номос, 120.
Водинелић 1976: Владимир Водинелић. „Лично право као субјективно право и као грана права“- Архив, бр. 3/1976.
Јотановић 2014: Ратко Јотановић. „Правни статус животиња у грађанском праву“. Годишњак Правног факултета у Бањој Луци, 101-122
Ракић Водинелић 1995: Весна Ракић Водинелић. „Еколошко право као право човека“. Правни живот, бр. 1/1995, 264.
Станковић 1976: Обрен Станковић. „Објекти грађанских права“. Анали, бр. 6/1976.