Hunting versus animal welfare, in the light of the protection of property and other rights

Abstract

The paper describes how animal protection has emerged as an objection to hunting among landowners with hunting rights, how they have taken their convictions to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), how this relates to game management and the exercise of hunting rights, and what further legal implications the ECHR decisions have. Landowners have claimed primarily a violation of their property rights, but also other fundamental rights. The study will therefore focus mainly on the fundamental right to property protection, and will only address other fundamental rights to the extent necessary.