Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
New York’s Court of Appeals denied habeas corpus to Happy the elephant, but two judges dissented. Justice Wilson argued that an animal’s qualities, not a legal label of 'person', should determine access to rights, and he rejected the idea that rights require reciprocal duties. He also dismissed fears of a flood of petitions as an inadequate reason to deny relief.
The episode summarises the dissent, points you to the Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law for the case, and previews the next story about Cecilia the chimpanzee and a different judicial approach in Argentina.
Animal Rights Tour is written by Sean Butler, hosted by Carly McCann, and fact-checked by Paulina Siemieniec.
This podcast is produced by the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, an academic centre of competence dedicated to the study of fundamental rights for non-human animals and based in Cambridge, UK. Learn more about the Centre at animalrightslaw.org (animalrightslaw.org/) .
New York’s Court of Appeals denied habeas corpus to Happy the elephant, but two judges dissented. Justice Wilson argued that an animal’s qualities, not a legal label of 'person', should determine access to rights, and he rejected the idea that rights require reciprocal duties. He also dismissed fears of a flood of petitions as an inadequate reason to deny relief.
The episode summarises the dissent, points you to the Cambridge Center for Animal Rights Law for the case, and previews the next story about Cecilia the chimpanzee and a different judicial approach in Argentina.
Animal Rights Tour is written by Sean Butler, hosted by Carly McCann, and fact-checked by Paulina Siemieniec.
This podcast is produced by the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law, an academic centre of competence dedicated to the study of fundamental rights for non-human animals and based in Cambridge, UK. Learn more about the Centre at animalrightslaw.org (animalrightslaw.org/) .
