Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Legal "Personhood" for Non-Humans?




Many of you may not be aware of this, but several recent court decisions may have a large impact on the way that psychologists and biomedical researchers conduct animal research in the future.  The State of New York Supreme Court recently ruled that “Tommy the Chimpanzee” should not be granted legal “personhood” status (click HERE for a story from the Washington Post).  However, late last year an Argentinian court ruled in favor of an orangutan in a habeas corpus case (click HERE to read that story from the Washington Post).  What the ramifications of these decisions are for animals in zoos, circuses, and those used in biomedical and behavioral research will surely be realized in the near future.