http://www.animallawreform.org/

Animal Law Reform South Africa, Johannesburg (2026)

13/08/2026

🐘 WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 2026 🐘

Yesterday, 12 August 2026 was World Elephant Day. This day reminds us that protecting elephants begins with understanding who they are.

The 2026 theme, “Bringing the world together to help elephants”, calls for collective action to address the threats elephants face: from habitat loss and poaching to human–elephant conflict and elephants living in captivity.

Elephants are intelligent, sentient and socially complex beings. Their lives are shaped by relationships, communication, movement, memory, choice and their connection to the environments in which they live.
These are not simply interesting facts about another species. They matter when we consider how humans and institutions make decisions about the lives of non-human animals - and they matter to the law.

South African jurisprudence has increasingly recognised animals as sentient beings with intrinsic value, moving our legal understanding beyond an approach concerned only with concerned only with preventing harm to or conserving large populations of animals. This developing legal framework asks us to consider animals’ individual interests, protection and well-being, and the responsibilities society, the State, and others have towards them.

World Elephant Day is therefore also an opportunity to ask a deeper question: what does it mean to protect an elephant if that protection does not allow them to live in ways that are meaningful to them?

That question sits at the heart of our campaign and our ongoing legal case concerning Lammie, Ramadiba and Mopane, the three elephants currently held in captivity at the Johannesburg Zoo.

In May 2026, the application brought by Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA) together with the EMS Foundation and Chief Stephen Fritz, was before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. We as applicants seek the relocation of the elephants to a suitable rehabilitation and rewilding facility, where, with appropriate expert support, they would have the opportunity to express their natural physical, emotional and social behaviours.

The Court has heard the arguments and judgment remains reserved.

So, this week, while people around the world celebrate the majesty of elephants - often pictured roaming free across vast landscapes - we bring our attention back to Lammie, Ramadiba and Mopane.

Their lives remind us that World Elephant Day cannot only be about ensuring elephants continue to exist. It must also remind us to consider the conditions and realities in which elephants live, and whether the systems we as humans have created allow them the dignity, agency and opportunity to flourish that they deserve.

“Bringing the world together to help elephants” must include communities, advocates, scientists, lawyers, courts and others working together to align protection with what elephants actually need to flourish.

Until judgment is handed down, we continue to advocate, to educate, and to ask the law to recognise what our growing understanding of elephants makes increasingly difficult to ignore: they need to roam.

Read more about our case: https://www.animallawreform.org/letthemroam/

05/08/2026

🌍 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA'S ANNUAL AND STUDENT CONFERENCES 2026

The Environmental Law Association of South Africa will soon host its Annual and Student Conferences 2026 in collaboration with the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa in Potchefstroom.

This year's theme, “Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis”, invites critical discussion on how law and governance can respond to the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution.

Bringing together academics, legal practitioners, government representatives, civil society organisations, activists, students, and other stakeholders, the conferences will explore innovative legal and governance responses to some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

📅 Important Dates

📌 7 August 2026 – Abstract submission (extended) deadline
📌 18 August 2026 – Early bird registration closes
📌 6–7 October 2026 – Student Conference: Novel Glocal Governance Research for the Triple Planetary Crisis
📌 8–9 October 2026 – Annual Conference: Glocal Governance in the Age of Triple Planetary Crisis
📌 10 October 2026 – Excursion to the Vredefort Dome

For abstract submissions, registration, and further information, visit: https://elasa.co.za/ela-events/annual-student-conferences-2026-glocal-governance/

We extend our best wishes to the organisers and all participants for what promise to be engaging, thought-provoking, and impactful conferences! We are especially proud that Professor Melanie Murcott, Chairperson of the ELA and one of Animal Law Reform South Africa's Non-Executive Board Members, will be contributing to this important event.

31/07/2026

🥚 INTRODUCING OUR EGG-UCATION SERIES: PART 1 🥚

❓If someone asked you to describe a battery cage, could you?

🐔 It's a term that's frequently used in discussions about egg production, but one that many consumers may have never had clearly explained. Yet, for the millions of South Africans who buy or consume eggs, it is more likely than not that their eggs came from a hen kept in a cruel battery cage.

🐓 Battery cages are one of several housing systems used in commercial egg production. Developed to maximise efficiency, they have also become the focus of ongoing scientific, legal and public debate because of the restrictions they place on hens' ability to perform many of their natural behaviours.

💰 Understanding how different production systems work is an important part of making informed choices about the food we buy.

📚 Egg-ucation is a new educational series from Animal Law Reform South Africa that takes a closer look at those systems. Over the coming months, together, we will crack open the conversation about aspects of our food system, and lay some realities on the line, including the systems behind egg production in South Africa, common industry terminology, the legal and regulatory framework governing egg production, and the role consumers play in driving greater transparency and accountability.

🔎 In the first edition of Egg-ucation, we unpack what battery cages are, why they matter, and why understanding production systems is becoming an increasingly important part of consumer transparency.

This isn't about telling you what to think, or what to buy.

It's about making information more accessible, so you can make informed choices – and that is part of your constitutional and consumer rights.

Get Egg-ucated. Make informed choices. You have the power.

28/07/2026

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON SA’S FOOD-BASED DIETARY GUIDELINES

💬Are South Africa's Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) ready for the future?
Later today, a panel of experts including ALRSA’s food system lawyer, Paula Knipe, will be taking an in-depth look at this.

Join Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa for the launch of their policy brief, "South Africa's food-based dietary guidelines are due for an update: recommendations to meet health and climate goals", and hear from leading experts exploring how updated dietary guidance can better support human health, environmental sustainability, and resilient food systems.

The panel includes:
🎤Dr. Nanine Wyma, Chair of the Board, PAN South Africa and Lead Author of the Policy Brief
🎤Sumati Bajaj, Nutrition Knowledge Specialist, PAN International and EAT-Lancet Commission Contributor
🎤Prof. Ashika Naicker, Associate Professor and Head of Department: Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology
🎤Paula Knipe, Lawyer: Food Systems Reform Programme, Animal Law Reform South Africa.
🎤Maria van der Merwe, President, Association for Dietetics in South Africa
🎤Jody Frank, Specialised Environmental Officer: Climate Change, Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Government

Opening remarks by Dr Heinrich Volmink, Chief Operating Officer, PAN South Africa.

📅Tuesday, 28 July 2026
🕖17:00 SAST
💻Online on Zoom

Whether you work in healthcare, nutrition, government, education, research, or sustainability, or simply have an interest in shaping the future of South Africa's nutrition and food system landscape, this conversation is for you.

🔗To register, visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ygeXpgG0RzaqX898g8wY9Q #/registration or scan the QR code.

09/07/2026

🌍 ALRSA AT THE WORLD CONGRESS ON CONSTITUTIONAL LAW 2026 🇨🇴🇿🇦

This week, Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA) is proud to be contributing to the World Congress on Constitutional Law (WCCL) in Bogotá, Colombia - one of the world’s foremost gatherings of constitutional law scholars and practitioners.

Held every four years, the WCCL brings together academics, judges, legal professionals, government officials, students and civil society from across the globe to engage with contemporary constitutional challenges, including human rights, constitutional jurisprudence, democratic governance, the separation of powers, and the evolving role of constitutional law in addressing global issues.

ALRSA’s Executive Director, Amy P. Wilson has been invited by the President of the Constitutional Court of Colombia to deliver the inaugural lecture, “Rights of Animals and Nature” on 10 July 2026. The lecture forms part of the Constitutional Court’s academic programme held in conjunction with the WCCL and highlights the growing recognition of the constitutional dimensions of animal and environmental protection.

Amy also co-organised a workshop titled “Sustainable Constitutionalism and Nonhuman Animals: Rights, Duties and Inclusive Justice” together with Dr Eva Bernet Kempers, which they will chair and present at on 9 July 2026. The workshop brings together leading international scholars to explore how constitutional law can advance justice for nonhuman animals and promote more inclusive constitutional futures. ALRSA Board Member Professor David Bilchitz is presenting at the workshop.

ALRSA Board Member, Dr. Melanie Murcott will be presenting in the plenary panel on 10 July 2026 (chaired by Prof Bilchitz) entitled “Human Duties in the Human-centred World: Constitutionalism and Private Actors”. On 7 July 2026, Dr Murcott also participated in the panel entitled: “Discussion: Courts and Climate Emergency: A Dialogue Between Judges and Academics”, and Professor David Bilchitz co-chaired a session on Environmental Sustainability and Constitutionalism. On 8 July 2026, Professor Bilchitz participated in a section for a book he co-edited on “Transitional Justice, Distributive Justice, and Transformative Constitutionalism: Comparing Colombia and South Africa.”

We are grateful and excited to see ALRSA and animal law more generally represented at one of the world’s leading constitutional law gatherings and to contribute to the growing global conversation on constitutionalism, justice, and the rights of nonhuman animals.

26/06/2026

EXCITING SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR FOUNDATIONS OF ANIMAL LAW COURSE @ UJ – ACT FAST

We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to a generous donor there is 1 scholarship available for a student for the 2026 Foundations of Animal Law Short Learning Program at the University of Johannesburg (UJ Faculty of Law). The scholarship covers the full school fees only – but you will need to act fast!

The bursary is aimed at students who stand out from the crowd – for example top achievers in the LLB or LLM programme, or those with experience in animal protection who have a compelling reason for their interest in the course and are unable to fund it themselves. The sponsorship is available for law students in their third year, final year, or those who have completed their legal or master’s degree. Veterinarians and those with any media-based qualification will also be considered.

If you are interested, please email your application to: [email protected] and [email protected] by no later than end of day on Friday 3 July 2026 with the following:

1. Your CV
2. A short cover letter of 1 page explaining your interest in the course, previous experience and expertise, and what you intend to do with the knowledge from the course
3. Your personal contact details: full names, phone numbers, email addresses
4. A list of your [tertiary] qualification/s with accompanying academic transcripts and/or the year of your studies you are in, with your transcript

The successful applicant will be informed of the decision by 8 July 2026 and will need to provide any outstanding documentation to UJ by 17 July 2026. The course will begin in early August 2026 and run for 10 weeks, with additional time for the assessment after the lecture portion is completed.

Please note - there is no guarantee those who apply for this scholarship will receive funding and the decision is final.

For further information about the course generally, please reach out to Lefa Morwena, at [email protected] and CC [email protected].

For all others wanting to register for the course, the deadline to register for the course is Friday 17 July 2026.

25/06/2026

🎉 JOIN US IN WELCOMING ANOTHER MEMBER TO THE ALRSA TEAM! ⚖️🌍🐔

We are delighted to welcome Saamiya Alli to Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA) as our new Lawyer & Legal Researcher. In this role, Saamiya will support ALRSA’s Corporate Accountability Programme, contributing legal research and advocacy aimed at advancing stronger protections for animals – including egg-laying hens - within South Africa’s food system.

Saamiya is an admitted attorney and obtained an LLB from the University of Cape Town, and an LLM in Human Rights Law (awarded with distinction) from the University of Aberdeen.
During her undergraduate studies, Saamiya developed a keen interest in human rights, environmental, and international law, selecting Environmental Law and Refugee Law as elective subjects and volunteering at the University of Cape Town Refugee Rights Unit. Her postgraduate dissertation examined the application of International Humanitarian Law to the armed conflict in Yemen.

Saamiya completed internships at the Women’s Legal Centre, the Dullah Omar Institute, and Lawyers for Human Rights. She later worked as a Legal Analyst at Cognia Law before joining LexisNexis as a Legal Editor.

She is committed to using the law to advance protections for animals, humans, and the environment and brings a strong human rights foundation and a passion for legal research to ALRSA’s growing corporate accountability work. Her experience across public interest law, legal analysis, and legal publishing has equipped her with a thoughtful and rigorous approach to addressing complex legal and societal challenges.

We are proud to have Saamiya join our flock and look forward to the valuable contribution she will make as we continue working towards a more just, accountable, and compassionate future for people, animals, and the planet.

Please join us in giving Saamiya a warm welcome to ALRSA! 🎉

23/06/2026

🎉 WELCOMING A NEW MEMBER TO THE ALRSA TEAM! ⚖️🐔🌍

We are excited to welcome Dr Tarryn Bannister to Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA) as our new Lawyer & Programme Lead for our Corporate Accountability Programme. In this role, Tarryn will lead ALRSA’s corporate accountability work, which is currently focused on driving change within the South African egg industry including to promote better animal treatment, environmental protection and social justice, and ensure greater transparency.

Dr Tarryn Bannister holds BA Law, LL.B, LL.M and LL.D. degrees from Stellenbosch University. She graduated with her LL.B in 2010 and subsequently completed a research-based Master’s degree, cm laude, on the right to have access to health care services for survivors of gender-based violence. In 2016, she completed her doctoral studies, titled “The implications of a relational feminist interpretation of the socio-economic rights of female cohabitants.”

Tarryn’s experience traverses legal practice, corporate compliance, human rights, civil society and higher education. She is passionate about social justice, accountability, and the law’s role in addressing systemic inequality and vulnerability. Building on this foundation, Tarryn’s work has increasingly focused on the intersection of animal protection, environmental justice, and corporate accountability mechanisms that are able to foster a more just and compassionate society.

Throughout her career, Tarryn has worked across a range of sectors and disciplines, bringing a thoughtful and interdisciplinary approach to addressing complex social challenges. Her expertise in accountability mechanisms, rights-based advocacy, and systemic reform aligns strongly with ALRSA’s mission to use the law as a tool for meaningful change.

As ALRSA continues to expand our work in the corporate accountability space, we are thrilled to have Tarryn’s leadership, insight, and experience guiding this important programme. We look forward to the contributions she will make to advancing animal protection and building more responsible, sustainable and equitable food systems.

Welcome to our flock, Tarryn! 🎉

22/06/2026

🐾 FOUNDATIONS OF ANIMAL LAW SHORT COURSE – APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

Are you interested in animal law? Enrol in the Foundations of Animal Law short learning programme at the University of Johannesburg for the opportunity to deepen your understanding of animal law while building the skills to contribute meaningfully to legal and policy reform that benefits animals, people, and the planet.

Now in its 4th presentation, this pioneering programme was the first animal law course of its kind in South Africa and on the African continent. Co-developed and presented by Animal Law Reform South Africa (ALRSA) co-founders and directors, Professor David Bilchitz and Attorney Amy P. Wilson, the course delves into the legal, ethical, constitutional, and policy dimensions of animal protection in contemporary society, and its implications for people, animals, and the planet.

📚 Programme Highlights:
• Presented fully online via the Moodle e-learning platform
• Consists of approximately 10 evening sessions starting in August 2026
• Features interactive live lectures, case studies and supplementary learning resources
• Includes assessment through written assignments and a final position paper
• A certificate is awarded upon successful completion
• Approved for 28 CPD points by the South African Veterinary Council
• Key topics include animal rights, animal welfare, legal frameworks, environmental connections, global regulations, and more!

🎓 Who Should Apply?
• Legal professionals and law students interested in animal law
• Professionals working with animals (veterinarians, industry, others)
• Activists, advocates, members of the public with a passion for animal protection
• Academics and practitioners looking to expand their expertise

📋 Admission Requirements: National Senior Certificate or NQF Level 4 equivalent qualification

📅 Applications for 2026 close on 17 July 2026

🔗 For detailed information visit:https://www.uj.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/slp-animal-law-_-a5-brochure-_-mar-2026-_-web-_-2.pdf

For enquiries, contact [email protected] or call 011 559 3739

15/06/2026

COMPASSION OVER CARGO & BAN LIVE EXPORTS INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS DAY

Yesterday, 14 June, marked Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day - an opportunity to confront the cruel conditions endured by millions of animals transported on long-distance journeys for slaughter at their destination.

Live export by sea is one of the most overlooked yet severe forms of industrial animal exploitation. Animals are subjected to prolonged confinement, overcrowding, extreme weather, inadequate ventilation, dehydration, hunger, and disease over journeys that can last weeks. The harms extend beyond the animals themselves, raising serious concerns about worker safety, environmental impact, and biosecurity risks, among others.

Despite this, the practice remains improperly regulated. South Africa’s 2023 Live Export Guidelines are non-binding and unenforceable. Draft regulations published in 2025 (which are yet to be finalised) are fundamentally inadequate and, in key respects, represent a step backwards from the already insufficient guidelines. The practice exists alongside the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962, which makes it a criminal offence to convey and carry animals in conditions affording inadequate shelter, ventilation, food, water, and rest, or in conditions that cause animals unnecessary suffering.

But globally, the tide is turning. New Zealand, the UK, and Australia have banned or are phasing out live export by sea; India has imposed port restrictions; and Brazil has seen legal efforts to prohibit the practice entirely.

Through our project, ALRSA is working to bring this issue more prominently into public view. Because when sentient beings are treated as mere cargo, society has a responsibility to ask questions, and act. It is time to move toward meaningful reform for people, animals, and the planet.

Over the coming months, we will share more about the work we have done and continue to do, and take you along as we explore the realities of live animal export and the questions it raises around animal protection, environmental responsibility, social justice, transparency, and accountability.

Animal Law Reform South Africa

13/08/2026

05/08/2026

31/07/2026

28/07/2026

09/07/2026

26/06/2026

25/06/2026

23/06/2026

22/06/2026

15/06/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category

Listing takedown request