A US animal rights group is calling on a New York court to recognise a chimpanzee as a legal person, in what is believed to be a legal first.

The Nonhuman Rights Project wants a chimp named Tommy to be granted "legal personhood" and thus entitled to the "fundamental right of bodily liberty".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25211859

The group says it is dedicated to changing the common law status of species considered autonomous, and could eventually file lawsuits on behalf of gorillas, orangutans, whales, dolphins and elephants.

Only in the States!

I think there were moves before to place chimps in the Homo genus

On the other hand, I can think of several 'people' that I would not cast as Homo Sapiens - most of whom I played against on the rugby field.

"Good morning, Mr Chimpanzee!"

Where does this stop?

Will they be allowed to marry?

Will they be allowed to marry?

They're like many human beings in that..... they don't bother.

Half of them would end up in gaol for putting the bite on people (literally)...

A post slurring people fro ma particular place has been deleted.

It's quite funny to consider the prospect when places such as Sudan and Mauritania don't even give all Human beings said status by virtue of practicing slavery.

P.S Grant it to Chimpanzees and the Parrots and Crows will be next.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_intelligence

Half of them would end up in gaol for putting the bite on people (literally)...

Lots of them were in 'jail' : experimentation, circus and zoos.

^Quite right! I was forgetting myself - this is the sandpit. How dare I try to inject (an admittedly not so funny attempt at) humour.

PS: I like Steely Dan's PS (but I can't bring myself to push the 'Like' button).

A post slurring people fro ma particular place has been deleted.

Where on earth is Fro Ma? Pan a ma - yes. Cost a ri Car - yes. But Fro Ma?

And how can one offer the people there a slurrrrpy if one cannot find the place on a map?

^I think it's a typo, Humph - should be 'fromage' (although gawd only knows what 'people cheese' is).

Looks like the Iranians are in breach sending a second monkey into space, it does look quite pious what with it's beard. Surely they could have sent a Kurd or Christian instead?

Looks like the Iranians are in breach sending a second monkey into space, it does look quite pious what with it's beard. Surely they could have sent a Kurd or Christian instead?

But this was the only volunteer.

And any Kurd or Christian would probably bring down a curse on the Iranians by shouting 'Shiiii-it(e)' as he re-entered the atmosphere.