Chimps Given Human Rights By U.S. Court

On Monday, a New York judge granted two chimpanzees a writ of habeas corpus. In other words, the chimps have the right to a day in court -- under a law that only applies to people.

This isn't coming from nowhere: The Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP) has been trying to get chimps the rights of personhood for years. They represent the animals in court, arguing that their living situations -- as pets or performers -- should be considered as unlawful as the inhumane detention of a human.

The judge hasn't ruled that the two chimps, who live in a Stony Brook University lab, need to be released. The decision really only means that the chimps have the right to fight their detention in court.

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