Animals in the legal system: sentient beings, patients, or moral agents?

Abstract

The Law on Animal Welfare, which the Parliament has approved, as well as the recent modification of the Civil Code, have created a new category in our Law, already existing in other legal systems, to refer to non-human animals as sentient beings. This paper tries to analyze whether or not this category is adequate for their protection and the consideration that animals should have according to their correct recognition of rights: whether as mere moral patients or also as moral agents.