Australasian Animal Studies Association

Koolen-Bourke, Dr Deidre

Senior policy researcher

Environmental Defence Society

Profile Picture
Research interests / activities

My current research interest is in examining the hegemonic processes that operate to insulate existing legal frameworks against reform and the processes by which legal meaning is constituted. The purpose in doing so is to inform action, since these issues have very practical implications for the animal rights movement. This research traverses a range of issues including: the impact of current economic models and neoliberal ideology on our legal frameworks, ideological underpinnings of the legal system, agency capture and conflict of interest in decision (and rule) making, and the operation of expert advisory groups on animal issues and input of science to policy. My work therefore crosses Critical Animal Studies, social movement theory, law reform and discourse analysis.

Outputs

Koolen-Bourke and R Peart, 2021, Conserving nature: Conservation law reform issues paper, Environmental Defence Society, Auckland, New Zealand. https://www.eds.org.nz/our-work/publications/reports/conserving-nature-conservation-reform-issues/

Peart R, C Woodhouse, S Schlaepfer, D Koolen-Bourke and L Taylor, 2021, Caring for the Landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand Synthesis Report, Environmental Defence Society, New Zealand.

Koolen-Bourke, 2019, Law, hegemony and animals: taking the power back’, presented at Decolonising Animals, the Australiasian Animal Studies Conference, 2019, Christchurch, New Zealand

Bourke, Deidre, 2019, The animal rights movement and the law : engagement, co-option and resistance,
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law, The University of Auckland.

Bourke D and N Tomas, 2010The Right to Culture and Self-Determination. In McBride, T. (Ed.) New Zealand Civil Rights Handbook: A Guide to Your Civil Rights Under New Zealand Law (4th Ed.) Craig Potton Pub, Nelson.

Bourke, D, 2009 The Use and Misuse of 'Rights Talk' by the Animal Rights Movement, In Sankoff P and S White, Animal Law in Australasia: A New Dialogue, Federation Press

Bourke, D, 2007, The Regulation of Animal Use for Research, Testing and Teaching in Australasia, presented at NSW Young Lawyers Animal Law Conference, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia

Morris M and D Bourke, 2006, Animal Ethics Committees and the Protection of Animal Interests, presented at the New Zealand Bioethics Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand

Bourke, D, 2005, The Regulation of Animal Use for Research, Testing and Teaching Purposes Under Part 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Laws (Environmental law), The University of Auckland.

Wickliffe K and D Bourke, 2001, The Right to Self-Determination in T McBride (ed) New Zealand Civil Rights Handbook: A Guide to your civil rights under New Zealand Law