Posted on 06/08/2017 5:10:47 PM PDT by mdittmar
Chimpanzees do not deserve the same rights as people, a New York state appeals court unanimously concluded on Thursday, as it refused to order the release of two of the animals to a primate sanctuary.
The 5-0 decision by the Appellate Division in Manhattan is the latest defeat for the Nonhuman Rights Project and its lawyer Steven Wise in a long debate over whether caged chimpanzees are actually legal "persons" entitled like humans to bodily liberty.
Citing experts like British primatologist Jane Goodall, the Nonhuman Rights Project said chimpanzees and humans share many behavioral, cognitive and social capabilities.
It said this entitled chimpanzees to many of the same rights, and sought "habeas corpus" relief to win freedom for Tommy and Kiko, each held by a private owner in upstate New York.
But the shared capabilities "do not translate to a chimpanzee's capacity or ability, like humans, to bear legal duties, or to be held legally accountable for their actions," Justice Troy Webber wrote for the appeals court.
"While petitioner's avowed mission is certainly laudable, the according of any fundamental legal rights to animals, including entitlement to habeas relief, is an issue better suited to the legislative process," Webber wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I always thought that to have rights,you must be able to respect the rights of others.
Here's an old song I like;)
So, it starts...
Soylent Green — now with more chimps.
Habeas Chimpus?
lol!
I wonder if they quoted Heinlein in the legal arguments:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Was_a_Man
Amazing, this even got to a court of law...
Sad actually.
I would think it a matter of how well they are currently being kept. Are they being properly fed? Do they have sufficient room to roam, play. Are they receiving proper veterinary care?, etc.... And is the area they are in now, properly zoned for such upkeep?
If animals are going to be kept in captivity, I do want to see them treated humanely and given a place to exist where they can roam in a scaled down version of the wild.
This is particularly important for larger animals and ones with a higher intellectual state of being.
As far as calling them human, get real. That’s just nonsense.
Many zoos have improved their exhibits and I like that.
Poor guy, I guess the divorce papers came through.
Don’t think the Nonhuman Rights Project cares about that.
per US 2015:35A:i 46 Wookius primus is afforded human rights as defined by Galactic Treaty of Grestalon
As Kiko's council and defense attorneys, we will be in court first thing tomorrow morning to seek a writ of habeas chimpus before Judge Weber.
I specifically ordered my people not to let that video out, of me after a few drinks!
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