Monkey Business: Should Animals Have the Same Rights as Humans?

‘Company of Wolves’ delegates might be interested to hear that a New York court will resume hearing a case this week about the possible illegal detention of two chimps at a university lab. Lawyers acting for the chimps, Leo and Hercules, want them to be moved to an animal sanctuary. Researchers at Stony Brook University are using the chimps for research on physical movement. In a potentially significant ruling Judge Barbara Jaffe at one stage suggested the chimps had the right of habeas corpus – the ancient legal principle under which the state has an obligation to produce missing individuals before a court. But having initially used the words “habeas corpus”, the judge subsequently struck them out, suggesting the court does not consider the animals to be legal persons. Read the full story on the BBC News site here