The Nonhuman Rights Project Inc

THE NONHUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT IS THE ONLY CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES WORKING THROUGH LITIGATION, LEGISLATION, AND EDUCATION TO SECURE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS FOR NONHUMAN ANIMALS AND THE LEADING FORCE IN BUILDING A NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NONHUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

BASED ON YEARS OF RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND DRIVEN BY THE SAME VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE THAT UNDERLIE HUMAN CIVIL RIGHTS, OUR UNIQUE LITIGATION CHALLENGES AN ARCHAIC, UNJUST, MILLENIA-OLD LEGAL STATUS QUO THAT SEES ALL NONHUMAN ANIMALS AS LEGAL "THINGS" WITH NO RIGHTS. IN THE NINE YEARS SINCE THE NHRP FILED OUR FIRST LAWSUITS SEEKING CAPTIVE CHIMPANZEES AND ELEPHANTS' RIGHT TO LIBERTY THROUGH WRITS OF HABEAS CORPUS, WE HAVE ACHIEVED IMPORTANT LEGAL FIRSTS, CATALYZED A GLOBAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE URGENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF NONHUMAN RIGHTS, AND INSPIRED AND EMPOWERED PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO JOIN THE FIGHT. IN 2021, AS WE CONTINUED TO EDUCATE AUDIENCES ABOUT WHAT NONHUMAN RIGHTS ARE AND WHY THEY MATTER, WE DEEPENED OUR LEGISLATIVE WORK AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS, COMPLEMENTING THE JUDICIAL WORK THAT HAS BEEN OUR MAINSTAY SINCE OUR FOUNDING.OUR LITIGATION AND LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS ARE THE FIRST OF THEIR KIND IN THE WORLD. THEY DRAW ON VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF AUTONOMY IN NONHUMAN ANIMALS TO DIRECTLY CONFRONT THE FACT THAT ANIMAL WELFARE LAWS ARE NEITHER A SUFFICIENT NOR JUST MEANS OF PROTECTING NONHUMAN ANIMALS' LIBERTY.INCREASINGLY, AND AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE NHRP'S UNIQUE WORK, COURTS AND LEGISLATURES ARE BEGINNING TO RECOGNIZE THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM OF NONHUMAN ANIMALS' RIGHTLESSNESS, THE SUFFERING IT HAS CAUSED THEM, AND THE WAYS IT UNDERMINES THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE ON WHICH OUR OWN HUMAN RIGHTS DEPEND.AT THE SAME TIME, OUR GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS INVITE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US IN CALLING FOR RECOGNITION OF NONHUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMANDING THE RELEASE OF OUR CLIENTS TO SANCTUARIES WHERE THEIR RIGHT TO BODILY LIBERTY WILL BE RESPECTED.INDICATORS OF SUCCESS AND POPULATIONS SERVED:LITIGATION: IN BOTH OUR CHIMPANZEE AND ELEPHANT RIGHTS CASES, WE SECURED THE WORLD'S FIRST HABEAS CORPUS HEARINGS ON BEHALF OF NONHUMAN ANIMALS.IN MAY 2021, THE NEW YORK COURT OF APPEALS BECAME THE HIGHEST COURT IN AN ENGLISHSPEAKING JURISDICTION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO AGREE TO HEAR AN APPEAL DEMANDING A LEGAL RIGHT FOR A NONHUMAN ANIMAL AND THE FIRST TO CONSIDER SPECIFICIALLY WHETHER A NONHUMAN ANIMAL HAS THE COMMON LAW RIGHT TO BODILY LIBERTY PROTECTED BY HABEAS CORPUS. THIS WAS THE FOURTH TIME IN EIGHT YEARS THE NHRP ATTEMPTED TO REACH THIS COURT, WHICH ACCEPTS FEWER THAN FIVE PERCENT OF CASES THAT REQUEST TO BE HEARD. THE COURT'S DECISION TO ACCEPT HAPPY'S CASE IS ALREADY WIDELY CONSIDERED A LANDMARK IN THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHTS OF NONHUMAN ANIMALS. IN MAY 2022, THE NHRP ARGUED FOR HAPPY'S RIGHT TO LIBERTY AND RELEASE TO A SANTUARY BEFORE THE COURT OF APPEALS IN A HEARING COVERED BY ALMOST EVERY MAJOR MEDIA OUTLET IN THE US. WE ARE CURRENTLY AWAITING A DECISION.IN 2020, BRONX SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ALISON Y. TUITT ISSUED A DECISION IN OUR ELEPHANT CLIENT HAPPY'S CASE AFTER OVER 13 HOURS OF ORAL ARGUMENT WRITING THAT THE COURT "AGREES [WITH THE NHRP] THAT HAPPY IS MORE THAN JUST A LEGAL THING, OR PROPERTY. SHE IS AN INTELLIGENT, AUTONOMOUS BEING WHO SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY, AND WHO MAY BE ENTITLED TO LIBERTY. THE ARGUMENTS ADVANCED BY THE NHRP ARE EXTREMELY PERSUASIVE FOR TRANSFERRING HAPPY FROM HER SOLITARY, LONELY ONE ACRE EXHIBIT AT THE BRONX ZOO TO AN ELEPHANT SANCTUARY." HOWEVER, JUSTICE TUITT DISMISSED HAPPY'S HABEAS PETITION BECAUSE "REGRETTABLY THIS COURT IS BOUND BY THE LEGAL PRECEDENT SET BY THE APPELLATE DIVISION WHEN IT HELD THAT ANIMALS ARE NOT 'PERSONS' ENTITLED TO RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS AFFORDED BY THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS."IN 2018, AS FAVORABLY CITED TO BY JUSTICE TUITT, NEW YORK COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE EUGENE M. FAHEY ISSUED AN OPINION IN WHICH HE URGED HIS FELLOW JUDGES TO TREAT THE QUESTION OF NONHUMAN ANIMALS' RIGHTLESSNESS AS "A DEEP DILEMMA OF ETHICS AND POLICY THAT DEMANDS OUR ATTENTION. THE ISSUE WHETHER A NONHUMAN ANIMAL HAS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO LIBERTY PROTECTED BY THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS IS PROFOUND AND FAR-REACHING. IT SPEAKS TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THE LIFE AROUND US. ULTIMATELY, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO IGNORE IT." JUSTICE FAHEY ALSO CRITICIZED THE APPELLATE DIVISION DECISIONS IN THE NHRP'S CHIMPANZEE RIGHTS CASES, MAKING CLEAR THEY WERE WRONGLY DECIDED ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE NHRP'S CLIENTS AREN'T MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN SPECIES AND CAN'T BEAR LEGAL DUTIES.ALSO IN 2018, NEW YORK'S FOURTH DEPARTMENT CITED TO ONE OF OUR CHIMPANZEE RIGHTS CASE IN PEOPLE V. GRAVES, WRITING, "IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT PERSONHOOD CAN AND SOMETIMES DOES ATTACH TO NONHUMAN ENTITIES LIKE CORPORATIONS OR ANIMALS."IN 2022, THE NHRP FILED ITS FIRST HABEAS CORPUS LAWSUIT IN CALIFORNIA AND INTENDS TO FILE ITS FIRST HABEAS CORPUS LAWSUIT IN COLORADO ON BEHALF OF ELEPHANTS IN THOSE STATES.WHILE OUR LITIGATION HASN'T YET DIRECTLY FREED OUR CLIENTS, THE ABOVE STATEMENTS SHOW THAT AFTER NINE YEARS OF LITIGATION BY THE NHRP, THE ANACHRONISTIC LEGAL IDEA THAT ALL NONHUMAN ANIMALS ARE LEGAL "THINGS" WITH NO RIGHTS IS BEGINNING TO CRUMBLE IN NEW YORK STATE AND AROUND THE WORLD.OUR LITIGATION HAS ALSO GAINED THE SUPPORT OF EXPERTS, INCLUDING LEGAL SCHOLAR LAURENCE TRIBE, PHILOSOPHER MARTHA NUSSBAUM, AND THE FOUNDER OF THE FREEDOM TO MARRY MOVEMENT, EVAN WOLFSON. IN SUPPORT OF HAPPY'S PETITION ALONE, EIGHTEEN AMICUS BRIEFS WERE FILED WITH THE NEW YORK COURT OF APPEALS BY A TOTAL OF 146 PEOPLE AND GROUPS REPRESENTING LEADERS OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, LEGAL SCHOLARS, PHILOSOPHERS, RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS AND THEOLOGIANS REPRESENTING MANY DIFFERENT FAITHS, AND MORE. WE CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERTS IN THE NONHUMAN ANIMAL COGNITION IN ADDITION TO A VARIETY OF EXPERTS IN OTHER FIELDS.LEGISLATION: IN 2021, WE DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND STAFFERS AND DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF PURSUING FEDERAL RIGHTS LEGISLATION FOR NONHUMAN ANIMALS, AN EFFORT THAT CONTINUES INTO 2022. AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE ACTIVATED OUR NETWORK OF SUPPORTERS IN CONNECTICUT TO CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO COMMUNICATE SUPPORT FOR THE DRAFTING OF A CIRCUS BAN BILL.EDUCATION: THE NHRP EDUCATES LEGAL AND NON-LEGAL AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD ON THE NEED AND BASIS FOR NONHUMAN RIGHTS, CREATES AND SHARES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR BOTH LEGAL AND NON-LEGAL AUDIENCES, AND MAKES ALL OUR FILINGS FREELY AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. IN 2021, WITH LIMITATIONS ON WIDELY ATTENDED PUBLIC EVENTS IMPOSED BY THE PANDEMIC, WE CONTINUED OUR SERIES OF FREE ONLINE WEBINARS TO DISCUSS OUR WORK, INTERVIEW LEADING EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEED FOR NONHUMAN ANIMAL RIGHTS.FURTHER INDICATIONS OF PROGRESS INCLUDE:GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY: IN 2021, WE CONTINUED TO ACTIVATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS TO RALLY ONLINE IN SUPPORT OF OUR ELEPHANT CLIENTS' RIGHT TO LIBERTY AND RELEASE TO SANCTUARIES, UTILIZING ONLINE DAYS OF ACTION AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO DRAW ATTENTION TO OUR CASES. WE SENT OUT 9 ACTIONS ALERTS RESULTING IN OVER 35,000 EMAILS SENT TO DECISIONMAKERS INCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. AS OF 2021 NEARLY TWO MILLION PEOPLE FROM OVER 90 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES SIGNED TWO CHANGE.ORG PETITIONS CALLING FOR THE NHRP'S ELEPHANTS CLIENTS RELEASE TO ELEPHANTS SANCTUARIES. WE HOSTED WEBINARS ON WAYS TO ADVOCATE FOR NONHUMAN ANIMAL RIGHTS AND EDUCATED SUPPORTERS ON ISSUES RELATED TO OUR CAMPAIGNS.THE PROJECTED REACH OF MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE NHRP IN 2021 WAS 4.4 BILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. OUR WORK WAS COVERED BY A DIVERSITY OF OUTLETS (INCLUDING REUTERS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, CNN, NBC, FOX, THE ATLANTIC, THE NEW YORKER, AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC) AND LOCAL NEWSPAPERS IN THE JURISDICTIONS IN WHICH WE HAVE FILED SUIT. ALSO, IN 2021 WE BEGAN TO WORK WITH A PRESTIGIOUS PRODUCTION COMPANY ON A DOCUSERIES ABOUT HAPPY'S CASE AND THE FIGHT FOR NONHUMAN RIGHTS.INTERNATIONALLY, LITIGATION IN ARGENTINA MODELED ON THE NHRP'S HAS FREED A CHIMPANZEE FROM A ZOO TO A SANCTUARY IN RECOGNITION OF HER PERSONHOOD AND RIGHTS. IN 2019, THE NHRP WAS INVITED TO ADDRESS COLOMBIA'S HIGHEST COURT AS IT PREPARED TO DECIDE WHETHER A BEAR SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO USE HABEAS CORPUS TO SECURE HIS FREEDOM VIA LITIGATION MODELED ON THE NHRP'S. IN 2020, THAT COURT RULED 7-2 AGAINST THE BEAR, BUT THERE WAS A POWERFUL DISSENT WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, FAVORABLY CITED THE NHRP'S LITIGATION IN NEW YORK AND SUPPORTED THE USE OF HABEAS CORPUS TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHTS OF NONHUMAN ANIMALS.IN 2020, A COURT IN PAKISTAN FAVORABLY CITED HAPPY'S CASE AND THE NHRP'S WORK IN RULING "WITHOUT HESITATION" THAT ANIMALS IN THAT COUNTRY POSSESS CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS. WE HAVE ALSO HELPED FORMED AND PROVIDE ONGOING GUIDANCE TO NONHUMAN RIGHTS LEGAL WORKING GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN INDIA AND ISRAEL SET TO FILE LAWSUITS IN 2022.