Law Commons^™

Jurists For Jesus, Barbara L. Atwell

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This article focuses on Jesus’ fundamental mandate to ―love your neighbor as yourself. These five words encompass two prongs: honoring every individual (yourself), and caring for the human community as a whole (Your neighbor). This article refers to these two fundamental prongs as the Jesus Principles. An individual does not need to be a Christian or otherwise religious to embrace the Jesus Principles; in fact, they are universal. Developing laws and policies consistent with the basic concept of love reflected in the Jesus Principles can guide us toward a more just society.

Why Is It A Crime To Stomp On A Goldfish? Harm, Victimhood And The Structure Of Anti-Cruelty Offenses, Luis E. Chiesa

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

In the article it is argued that, contrary to what prominent animal law scholars such as Gary Francione claim, we have decided to criminalize harm to animals primarily because we are concerned about the wellbeing of such creatures, not because doing so furthers some other human interest. I do so in four parts.

Part I provides a brief historical analysis of animal cruelty laws that will show that, although many of these statutes were originally enacted as a way to protect private property, there has been a marked trend, specially in recent times, to punish animal cruelty regardless, and sometimes …