Dive Brief:
- A Manhattan judge ordered Stony Brook University to defend its captivity of two chimps, preliminarily giving credence to the idea that the chimps may have rights as “legal persons."
- The New York Times reports the Nonhuman Rights Project drafted the order and has been advocating a legal right to freedom for chimps and certain other animals.
- The Times found legal experts on both sides of the issue, one arguing that courts should hear cases about the potential unlawful detention of animals and others saying animals have no legal rights in the same way they have no legal responsibilities.
Dive Insight:
Stony Brook University has a Division of Laboratory Animal Resources that provides facilities for experimental animals. Facilities include housing and veterinary care. Having lab animals on college campuses is not rare, so a ruling in favor of the chimps at Stony Brook University could have far-reaching consequences across academia. Chimps serve as important research subjects for those studying human evolution, as humans share a common ancestor with the animals. The hearing where Stony Brook University will have a chance to defend its possession of the two chimps in question will be held May 6.