This first conference of the Observatoire québécois en droit animalier, organized in collaboration with Concordia University’s Social Justice Centre and the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRÉ), with the support of the Université de Sherbrooke and the Chambre des notaires du Québec, invites reflection on the ten-year period following the 2015 reform of animal law, which, from a legal standpoint, shifted the status of animals from things to sentient beings.
To register for the event, please click here.
May 15, 2026 – Intensive Research Workshop (by invitation)
This research workshop on animals provides a space for reflection and discussion centered on works in progress. It is open to research concerning animals across a range of disciplines, including law, philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, cultural studies, literature, and related fields.
This intensive workshop is conceived as a privileged opportunity for researchers to engage in in-depth exchanges with one another about a work in progress or a publication project, in a more intimate setting than that of the main conference, while also fostering lasting connections within the research community concerned with animals. It enables participants to discuss their research projects in small groups and to receive constructive critical feedback in preparation for conference presentations, publications, or job talks. The aim is to help researchers refine, enrich, and deepen their ideas.
Format
The workshop day will be devoted to the discussion of four papers. Each paper will be discussed in a session structured as follows: a researcher will first briefly present their work in progress. The paper will have been circulated to participants in advance, allowing for careful prior reading. A designated respondent will then offer comments on the paper. Workshop participants will subsequently engage in constructive discussion, questions, and critique of the work.
May 16, 2026 – Conference opened to the public
| 8:30 am – 9:00 am | Registration and welcome |
| 9:00 am – 9:15 am | Opening remarks |
| 9:15 am – 10:15 am |
Comparative perspectives: Reforming animal law in France and Québec
|
| 10:15 am – 12:15 pm |
Reforming the foundations of law
|
| 12:15 – 1:30 pm | Lunch |
| 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm |
Reforming legal practice
|
| 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm | Break |
| 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm |
Those left behind by Québec animal law
|
| 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Reception with vegan hors d’oeuvres |
*Please note that the workshop will be conducted in French.
