Guest Editors

Simone Glanert, Kent Centre for European and Comparative Law, Kent Law School, Canterbury (UK); Alexandra Mercescu, Faculty of Law, University of Timișoara (Romania); Vivek Mukherjee, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (India); and Shreya Padukone, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (India).

Theme

In the 21st century, at a juncture where human and non-human animals are facing all manner of daunting and indeed unprecedented challenges, not least extinction, there arises nothing short of an imperative to compare. Comparison, as it allows for the enhancement of knowledge and understanding, can ultimately bring about fundamental epistemological changes, not to mention empirical developments conducive to the improvement of animal law (and thus of animal well-being) from whatever angle and in whatever locale.

This issue of the Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy (a leading, peer-reviewed, international journal published by Taylor and Francis), entitled ‘Comparative Animal Law in the Making’, seeks to highlight (1) the novel character of this research field emerging at the intersection of animal law and comparative law (a field in the making); and (2) the active involvement of the contributors towards field-building (there is a construction process, a making process currently unfolding).

A non-restrictive list of topics on which we would welcome submissions includes: histories of animals in law; the economics and politics of animal law; interpretation and translation issues in animal law; epistemological and methodological aspects of animal law research with a particular focus on interdisciplinarity and its promises/limits; the migration of animal law; animals in Constitutions; legal recognition of animal sentience; tensions between ‘universal’ animal rights and local cultures; tensions between ‘universal’ human rights and ‘universal’ animal rights; the (in)adequacies of regional and international animal protection, biodiversity, or conservation regimes; legal and regulatory frameworks for the protection or well-being of farmed animals, aquatic animals, wild animals, laboratory animals, labour animals, or entertainment animals; legal and regulatory frameworks concerning insects; the idea of ‘better law’ with specific reference to the possibilities and limits of animal law rankings; perspectives from the ‘Global South’; and the challenges of ‘global’ animal law.

We are seeking submissions from researchers critically addressing animal-related issues from a comparative legal perspective. By way of example, contributors might compare legislative texts or judicial decisions across different jurisdictions regarding a specific animal law topic. They could also assess the local impact of a regional, transnational, or international legal instrument concerning animal well-being. In other words, the comparative dimension is key, and we are not seeking strictly national reports.

How to Submit?

Please submit an abstract of up to 500 words by 15 April 2026 directly to S.Glanert@kent.ac.uk and shreya.padukone@nalsar.ac.in. If your abstract is selected, you will be invited to draft a full typescript for publication as a law journal article that should be no longer than 8,000 words (inclusive of all references). The citation style is OSCOLA.

Important dates

  • Submission of abstracts: 15 April 2026.
  • Communication to authors of editorial decisions on abstracts: 1 June 2026.
  • Submission of full typescripts: 1 March 2027.
  • Peer review of full typescripts: 1 March – 1 June 2027.
  • Communication to authors of editorial decisions on full typescripts: 1 June 2027.
  • Author revisions of accepted typescripts: 1 June – 1 August 2027.
  • Submission of final typescripts: 1 August 2027.
  • Publication: from December 2027 onwards.

Contact

If you have any questions, please email S.Glanert@kent.ac.uk or shreya.padukone@nalsar.ac.in.

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