Young chimpanzees at the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation CenterWIKIMEDIA, DEPHINE BRUYERE
New York State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe yesterday (April 20) ordered officials at Stony Brook University to provide justification for their custody of Hercules and Leo, two chimpanzees used in research. According to ScienceInsider, Jaffe’s decision “seems to recognizes [sic] chimpanzees as legal persons for the first time.” Her granting a writ of habeas corpus—through which plaintiffs can argue against unlawful detainment—on behalf of the chimps is the latest development in a years-long string of legal proceedings stemming from cases brought by the Nonhuman Rights Project, a group that maintains that research chimps like Hercules and Leo should be released to sanctuaries. Stony Brook will present its justification for keeping the animals at a May hearing.
The final say on whether chimps will be ...
