Paula Sparks World Moot on International Law and Animal Rights

Our Vision

Paula Sparks World Moot on International Law and Animal Rights—the world’s first global legal advocacy and policy negotiation competitions, and associated training courses, on animal rights.

The Sparks Moot combines traditional aspects of law and policy with contemporary issues of animal rights to train future generations in securing balanced protections for all sentient life. It does so through policy negotiation and legal advocacy competitions, and training courses that enhance the skills needed to succeed in these areas.

Our Mission

Many animal species experience pain and suffering, love and joy, but are subjected to abusive treatment in the form of breeding, capture, captivity, exploitation, and slaughter on a massive scale, often in manners and contexts that would be considered unlawful if done to humans. The Sparks Moot exists to challenge and eliminate this exploitation and abuse world-over—to stop animals from being means to human ends.

Law and policy changes can radically overhaul this cruel status quo; the need of the hour is a new generation of professionals with a better understanding of animal rights.

Driven by our mission to ensure full recognition and protection for animal personhood and rights, the Sparks Moot equips future lawyers and social and natural scientists to effectively fight for animal interests through an understanding of the intricacies of interdependence, competition, and conflict that exist among the inhabitants of our planet. Negotiation, legislation, and litigation are key avenues for improving and protecting animal rights. Concretely, the Sparks Moot runs a policy negotiation, and legal advocacy competition, and associated training courses, across the world.

Our Impact

The Sparks Moot trains future professionals in animal rights negotiation and advocacy from a globalised perspective, incorporating international, regional, and domestic laws, policies, and approaches to stamp out animal exploitation and abuse.
It highlights issues of animal rights and their interrelationship with other global concerns, such as human rights and environmental protection, to help expose current and future scientists and jurists to emerging animal rights arguments so they are better prepared to negotiate, advocate for, and adjudicate on these matters.
It promotes an interdisciplinary approach to securing animal rights, recognising that success in this realm can only be brought about through coordinated efforts across different fields of study and practice.
It secures the unified, rather than fragmented, development of animal rights laws and policies, by bringing together current and future stakeholders from across the world to learn from each other’s perspectives and strategies, and engage in meaningful dialogue on animal rights.
It builds capacity in regions with underdeveloped cultures of law and policy skills and animal rights, by offering training to students and teachers, encouraging easy access to competition participation and introducing and developing animal rights studies everywhere, so students can engage in the debate in the formative stages of their career.