Court refuses to hear appeals in chimpanzee personhood case

ALBANY, N.Y. – An animal rights group seeking legal personhood for chimpanzees won’t get a hearing in the state’s highest court.

The Court of Appeals, without comment Tuesday, declined to hear the appeals by The Nonhuman Rights Project on behalf of Kiko and Tommy.

Lower courts had rejected the organization’s argument that scientific evidence of chimps’ emotional and cognitive abilities should qualify them for basic rights, including freedom from imprisonment.

In December, a midlevel court unanimously denied human legal rights to Tommy, who lives alone in a cage. The three justices said chimps “cannot bear any legal duties, submit to societal responsibilities or be held legally accountable for their actions.”

Tommy’s owner said he’s cared for under strict state and federal license rules and inspections.

The Nonhuman Rights Project, a nonprofit, was founded in 2007 by Massachusetts lawyer Steven Wise.

Wise said they’ve already begun discussing refiling the cases in New York in other courts, noting briefs filed in support by some legal scholars citing errors and conflicts in the lower court rulings.