In a first, the Uttarakhand High Court has accorded the status of ‘legal person or entity’ to the animals in the state.
It ruled that "they have a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person."
A Division Bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh bestowed the unique status on animal kingdom.
The entire animal kingdom, including avian and aquatic ones, are declared as legal entities having a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person.