Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnBraden
Sounds like an oxymoron.... non-human human?
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It is a legal term/definition.
For example, a company or a charity can, through incorporation become a "legal person". That is, it has a legal existence and rights to enter into contracts of purchase and supply, employment, property ownerships and so on. They have most right, or more in some aspects ... and some of the responsibilities ... of "human" people (and can be sued just like a person).
At present, in most developed countries, animals are mostly legally defined as property. Animals as property have some rights and some degree of protection, just as any other property does but not very much.
To be honest, I am not sure of the legal definition of animals in Japan but I know the reality for them is much worse. There is no animal protection agency or Red Cross for animals here. I will look at the law if you are interested but from memory, I think they are not even property. In the case of wild dolphins, I think they are classified as "resources" like wood or minerals. No rights and no protection at all.
Across the civilised and developed world, great apes, cetacean and other animals are increasingly being legally accepted as sentient individuals in national legislature and international treaties thereby increasing their degree of rights and protection ... just as happened to women, working classes and slaves before them.