Man Seeks Equality For Animal Kingdom In SC, Court Asks If His Dog Is His Equal

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice on a PIL seeking declaration of the entire animal kingdom, including avian and aquatic species, as “legal entities”. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, while hearing the PIL, asked what kind of prayer it was. “You (petitioner) want the entire animal kingdom to be treated as a legal entity… You want us to declare animals capable of suing and being sued? Animals are recognised as entities having protection of law,” the Chief Justice observed.

The petition has been filed by Allahabad-based NGO – People’s Charioteer Organisation (PCO), and its Secretary, Legal Cell, advocate Devesh Saxena, who argued the matter as petitioner-in-person.