Chimpanzees do not have the same rights as human beings, a New York appellate court ruled on Thursday.
Attorneys for Tommy the chimpanzee, whose owner has him locked in a cage, claimed the animal is scientifically related to humans to the point where he should be considered a "complex autonomous legal person," and therefore not subject to unlawful imprisonment, according to a 2013 lawsuit filed by the Nonhuman Rights Project.
But on Thursday the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in Albany unanimously upheld a lower court's rejection of the organization's argument, ruling that chimps are not subject to a writ of habeas corpus.
The group's ultimate goal is to have the 26-year-old chimpanzee, whose owner lives in Gloversville, New York, transported to a sanctuary in Florida, USA Today reported.
"Needless to say, unlike human beings, chimpanzees cannot bear any legal duties, submit to societal responsibilities or be held legally accountable for their action," Presiding Justice Karen Peters wrote in the decision according to USA Today.
"In our view, it is the incapability to bear any legal responsibilities and societal duties that renders it inappropriate to confer upon chimpanzees the legal rights- such as the fundamental right to liberty protected by the writ of habeas corpus- that have been afforded to human beings."
Steven Wise, president of the Nonhuman Rights Project, has the chance to appeal the decision with the Court of Appeals, New York state's highest court. But the high court is not required to consider the appeal because Thursday's decision was unanimous, USA Today reported.
In a statement released Thursday, the Nonhuman Rights Project said the court was wrong and that an appeal is on the way.
The court "ignores the fact that the common law is supposed to change in light of new scientific discoveries, changing experiences, and changing ideas of what is right or wrong," the group said according to the WSJ.
