Juan David Franco Fonseca and Juan Sebastián Durán Vega, tenth-semester students at the UIS School of Law, received the award for Best Presentation—Panel 2 at the First Conference on Environmental Law and Sustainability, held at the University of Pamplona.
The research and legal analysis conducted by the “Carlos Gaviria Díaz” Strategic Litigation Legal Clinic at the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) have earned yet another academic accolade. Students Juan David Franco Fonseca and Juan Sebastián Durán Vega received the award for Best Presentation during the First Conference on Environmental Law and Sustainability, which took place on September 24 and 25 at the University of Pamplona in Norte de Santander.
The students, members of the Legal Clinic’s Animal Welfare Group, participated in the conference with the paper “Replacement of Animal-Drawn Vehicles in Tourism: A Constitutional Analysis,” in which they addressed, from a legal perspective, the use of animals in tourism activities and the challenges posed by their eventual replacement.
A study linking animal protection, the Constitution, and sustainability
This paper analyzes the balancing of rights that arises in connection with the replacement of animal-drawn vehicles, an issue that involves constitutional, environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
From this perspective, the paper contributes to the debate on animal protection as part of contemporary discussions on environmental law and sustainability by examining the legal implications of moving toward alternatives that reduce the use of animals in tourist transportation activities.
The Law Program at the University of Pamplona, under the auspices of the OIKOS Research Group, awarded the recognition and highlighted the paper’s academic quality, research rigor, and contribution to knowledge in environmental law and sustainability.
The students’ participation was supported by Professor Carolina Isabel Montes Perea and guided by Professor María Paula Suárez, coordinators of the Animal Welfare Track at the “Carlos Gaviria Díaz” Strategic Litigation Legal Clinic.
Legal Clinic: A Setting for Research and Strategic Litigation
This result highlights the academic work being carried out by students and faculty at the UIS School of Law through initiatives that apply legal knowledge to issues of social and environmental significance.
Through its Animal Welfare Program, the Legal Clinic promotes the analysis of issues related to animal protection from legal, constitutional, and public interest perspectives, strengthening the education of future legal professionals through research and participation in academic settings.
Thus, the recognition received by Juan David Franco Fonseca and Juan Sebastián Durán Vega reflects the research work being conducted at UIS, which finds opportunities in these national forums to contribute to the academic dialogue on the legal challenges associated with animal protection and sustainability.
