Saba Pipia, PhD (Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre/Caucasus University): Hate Speech Against Animals

A video of the talk is available here:

About the Speaker
Saba Pipia earned his PhD in Law from Tbilisi State University in Georgia. Currently, he is a legal advisor at the Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre and lecturer in international law at Caucasus University in Tbilisi. During his doctoral and post-doctoral studies, Saba held research positions at the University of Groningen, the Max Planck Institute for Public International Law, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Ghent University. His teaching and research areas include international humanitarian law, international criminal law, animal law, and environmental law. Saba is a member of the experts group of the Global Animal Law Association and the World Animal Justice project. He has published several works both in Georgia and internationally and has received multiple scholarships, including those from the Georgian National Research Council, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the U.S. Government (Fulbright Program), and the European Commission (Erasmus).

About the Topic
This talk explores the patterns of animal imagery in religious scriptures, arts, literature, movies, and music, emphasizing negative portrayals and the use of animal names in derogatory contexts. By examining these portrayals, it will be analyzed how they contribute to the stigmatization and discrimination of animals. Drawing parallels with the evolution of hate speech laws, the necessity of similar norms to address the stigma against and among animals will be discussed. The talk will delve into speciesism and intra-species discrimination, highlighting how the depiction of certain animals as 'sacred' or 'beautiful' versus 'evil' or 'ugly' fosters discrimination.
A key aspect of the talk will be a legal analysis of whether hate speech against animals, as manifested through popular culture, can be restricted within the framework of freedom of expression. By drawing a comparative analysis with how hate speech against humans has come to justify limitations on freedom of expression, the presentation will try to explore whether hate speech against animals poses a moral and legal problem. The talk will consider whether the current human rights law framework allows for the prevention of such speech and compare it to legal regulations on hate speech against humans.
In summary, the talk aims to identify the moral and legal dimensions of hate speech against animals, examining the feasibility of navigating existing human rights laws to prevent such speech, and comparing these regulations to those addressing hate speech against humans.

The lecture will be held as a hybrid event, both on site at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Mittelweg 187, 20148 Hamburg, and as a video conference via Zoom.