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Dr Jessica Horton staff profile image

Dr Jessica Horton

Senior Lecturer

Jessica is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Law School.

Dr Jessica Horton staff profile image

About

Jessica is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Law School.

Jessica is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Law School.

Jessica graduated from De Montfort University with her LLB in 2017. After graduating she worked as a Judicial Assistant for a District Judge and Recorder within the Civil and Family Court, before returning to De Montfort University as a lecturer in Law.

In 2022 she graduated from Northumbria University having completed her PhD in Law. Prior to joining Leeds Law School Jessica worked for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as a Companion Animal Welfare Policy Advisor.

Related links

Leeds Law School

Research interests

Jessica's research interests centre around Animal Law, in which she completed her PhD. Her thesis explored the legal and moral status of service dogs in England and Wales. She is particularly interested in the development of policy and legislation, using empirical research methods to inform her research.

PhD Supervision

Jessica welcomes prospective PhD students within the following areas of research:

  • Animal Law and Policy

If you are a prospective student who would like to speak to Jessica about PhD supervision, please contact Jessica by email.

Publications (2)

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Journal article

‘Show Me Your Horse and I Will Tell You Who You Are’: Brexit, A Chance to Acknowledge Animal Sentience in Law

Featured 03 January 2020 The Denning Law Journal31(1):5-40 University of Buckingham Press
AuthorsHorton J, Merritt J

This article is written to explore the current position of the concept of animal sentience in UK animal welfare law. This is based on research carried out since 2017 but there have been political and legal developments which bring the issue to the fore now, chiefly these are concerned with Brexit and the EU definition of animal sentience contained in the Lisbon Treaty.At time of writing, however, there could scarcely be less certainty about the likely final outcome of the United Kingdom’s endeavours to exit the European Union.

Chapter

UK Animal Protection Legislation: The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019

Featured 18 November 2024 Animal Law Worldwide Springer Nature

Service animals sit within a liminal space in the United Kingdom (UK), contributing to the public good but without the legal recognition and protection of a worker and, therefore, none of the corresponding rights and duties that are entailed with being recognised as such. There has been an increase in interest concerning service animals gradually over the last decade, with public interest growing in the last five years. In 2016 there was a high-profile attack on a police dog (PD) who worked for Hertfordshire Police Force in England. The injuries that PD Finn sustained, and the resulting media coverage raised public awareness across the country and resulted in an ensuing campaign for Finn’s Law, otherwise known as the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act which was enacted in June 2019. The second aspect of this case was referred to as Finn’s Law Part Two, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act, which was enacted two years later in June 2021. This Act raised the maximum penalty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to five years imprisonment. The primary focus of this chapter will be on the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019 which provides an example of protection for animal workers in England and Wales, in addition to the corresponding Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021.

Current teaching

  • Animal Law
  • Equity and Trusts Law 
  • Criminal Law
  • Law of Contract
  • Mental Health Law and Policy

Teaching Activities (2)

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Course taught

Law of Contract

29 January 2024 - 30 April 2024

Course taught

Law of Contract

25 September 2023