India Court Declares Legal Rights of “Entire Animal Kingdom.”

This press release announces a 2018 ruling by the Uttarakhand High Court in India which declares that all animals, “including avian and aquatic,” have legal personhood and associated rights. This bold declaration marked a watershed moment for animal welfare and for the widening circle of moral concern, and it signaled a shift toward recognition of more-than-human communities as participants in the legal and ethical fabric of society. Although the Supreme Court of India overturned the ruling in 2023, the vision it articulated still reverberates and invites ongoing reflection on how law and culture may evolve to honor the intrinsic value of all living things.