Ten years after the adoption of Article 515-14 of the Civil Code, which states that "Animals are living beings endowed with sensitivity. Subject to laws protecting them, animals are subject to the regime of property," the work assesses the evolution of the animal's legal status. This publication, resulting from a conference held on February 21, 2025, at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris, brings together 23 contributions from academics and professionals.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, the authors examine the scope of this reform, analyze jurisprudential advances, new forms of compensation for animal suffering, and the transformations in human-animal relationships. The work also explores the resistances that still hinder the emergence of a true legal status for animals.
Beyond the assessment, this work opens ambitious perspectives: consecration of a principle of animal dignity, constitutional recognition, or even the integration of animals into the category of persons. Informed by concrete examples and forward-looking reflection, it highlights the contemporary challenges of animal protection and the profound changes they impose on our conception of law.
Among the contributors are Arnaud BAZIN, Camille BERTHET, Sandrine BIAGINI-GIRARD, Adrienne BONNET, Claire BOUGLÉ-LE ROUX, Anne-Blandine CAIRE, Sandrine CLAVEL, Estelle DERRIEN, Alice DI CONCETTO, Loïc DOMBREVAL, Muriel FALAISE, Kiteri GARCIA, Brigitte LEBLANC, Quentin LE PLUARD, Lorenza Louise LISSA-GEAY, Fabien MARCHADIER, Jean-Pierre MARGUÉNAUD, Cathy MORALES FRÉNOY, Franck RASTOUL, Nadège REBOUL-MAUPIN, François-Xavier ROUX-DEMARE, and Sylvie SALLES.
