6th Annual UK Animal Law Conference

Conference theme: the future of Animal Law 

Hosted by:

• UK Centre for Animal Law
• Multispecies Collective (at Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham)

Vision

The UK Animal Law Conference is the nation’s definitive meeting place for academics, lawyers, NGOs, and students working toward full protection for animals in the UK’s law and internationally. As such, the conference aims are:

• Educating one another about the national and international legal landscape for animals, the latest research, and recent updates on law, policy, and education.
• Network-building to create connections between academics, lawyers, NGOs, and students interested in animal law, and enhance the impact of work toward full protection for animals in law.
• Collaborating to generate new ideas and share good practice toward better legal futures for animals.

The scope of the conference encompasses animal law, ethics, policy, and education. The conference spans the full range of animal law issues, also covering animal law’s interaction with environmental law, international trade law, and more.

Speakers

Keynote speakers

• Kathy Hessler - Animal Law: the future is now
• Kim Stallwood - Preserving the history of animal law and animal rights
• Melanie Challenger - Towards a foundation of agency

Programme

A full programme will be circulated closer to the event, but you can see a list with bios of our keynotes and other speakers now on the ALAW conference webpage.

Follow these links to see details of our previous speakers in 2025 and 2024.

Call for papers

Following an extraordinary level of interest in the call for papers for the UK Animal Law Conference 2026, we have added further capacity to our programme. This means that we are delighted to share a time-limited second call for papers.

If you are interested in presenting at the conference, be sure to send us your application to conference@alaw.org.uk by midday on Thursday 12 of March!

• Find out more.

Conference details

Venue

The conference will be hosted in Edgbaston, Birmingham, at the University of Birmingham’s Arts Building. Fully vegan catering will be provided. The venue is wheelchair accessible via ramps and lifts, with an accessible bathroom on site. You are welcome to share any accessibility needs when purchasing your ticket for the conference, and we will do our best to accommodate.

Format

The conference will consist of inspiring keynote speeches, varied presentation panels, and practical workshops for academics, lawyers, NGOs, enforcers, and students. 

There will be a conference dinner on Wednesday 3 June which attendees are welcome to join by purchasing a dinner ticket at registration.

Registration is now open!

The conference registration fee, which includes vegan catering throughout, is as follows for presenters and other attendees:

• 2-day ticket (full price) - £200
• 2-day ticket (presenter/A-Law member) - £170
• 2-day ticket (student) - £140
• 1-day ticket (full price) - £130
• 1-day ticket (presenter/A-Law member) - £100
• 1-day ticket (student) - £75
• Conference buffet dinner (drinks not included) at BA-HA vegan restaurant, Wednesday 3 June - £24 

Sponsorship

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the UK Animal Law Conference 2026.

Click here for our sponsorship brochure, with options and opportunities for you to  support the UK Animal Law Conference.

Accommodation

If you are looking for accommodation during your time with us, we would suggest you use search websites such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com or Visit Birmingham as suggested resources to help you to explore options across the city.

Trains from Birmingham New Street station in the city centre run regularly to the University train station, taking around 7 minutes. Taxis from the city centre to main campus would take around 15-20 minutes dependent on traffic.