Are There Non-human People?

Some jurists, philosophers and biologists support the creation of the figure of non-human persons, a legislative figure that allows protecting animals with high cognitive abilities and great intelligence.

What are non-human people?

Non-human persons (legal subject) is currently a concept that tries to cover some of the most intelligent primates : great apes, such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.

The creation of this legal figure aims to guarantee the rights of animals, since,  at the moment, this is considered to be lacking and their protection is based on the human being’s disposition.

What rights would non-human persons have?

Today, animals are poorly protected, and many find it impossible to equate the rights of animals with those of people.

But  some bioethicists consider it important to point out that some animals, such as great apes, have deep feelings, so they must be given basic rights.

These basic rights would at least serve to guarantee the right to life, liberty and not to be physically or psychologically abused.

The latter is of vital importance, as  the figure of a non-human person has been used to protect only primates.

Legally, highly intelligent animals could receive basic rights, such as the right to life, be free and not suffer physical or psychological abuse.

Who are non-human people?

This concept could be extended to any animal, but currently it is applied to the four species of non-human great apes, mainly chimpanzees, which is probably the best known species.

Those who represent the creation of the figure of non-human persons believe that their creation is important even though, at first, it only had an impact on these primates.

It would later cover other species if society’s collective sensibility continues to advance.

The choice of these species is currently based on their similarity to human values ​​and customs.

According to primatologists such as Jane Goodall, these animals have culture, altruism, empathy, compassion and sensitivity.

Why is the concept of “non-human persons” necessary?

Normally,  the figure of a non-human person has been used to apply for  habeas corpus , which seeks to prevent deprivation of liberty without criminal justification.

Argentina is the country that had the most cases of this type. In particular, four  habeas corpus  for chimpanzees isolated in captivity were presented, thanks to the NGO Proyecto Gran Ape, which also has a presence in countries like Spain.

There are several chimpanzees that, thanks to this initiative, were taken to primate sanctuaries, which allowed them to be socialized with members of their species.

In the United States,  the American NGO Nonhuman Rights Project has been working in this direction for several decades and plans to extend this category to some species of parrots, whales and other cetaceans. In the case of India, cetaceans are recognized as non-human persons.