New York judge clarifies did not intend to give human rights to chimps
The New York Judge who issued a writ of habeas corpus in a case brought by animal rights activists on behalf of two chimpanzees, has said that she did not intend to give the animals human rights.
According to the Verge, a spokesperson for the court said that Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe had intended to grant a hearing to discuss the issues raised by the Nonhuman Rights Project, an animal advocacy group, but had mistakenly labeled the court order as a writ of habeas corpus.
The case involves two chimpanzees, Hercules and Leo, being held at a research facility at Stony Brook University in New York state.
The Nonhuman Rights Project had previously filed a lawsuit on behalf of the chimpanzees in 2013 with a view to having them transferred to a sanctuary in Florida.