Dear MEL
Topic Readers,
New Zealand
river first in the world to be given legal human status
A legal
personality for a river? Even though New Zealand is abundant in nature,
granting the same legal right as a person to a river sounds a little odd. But this
isn’t new news to the indigenous Maori who had been claiming the right for 160
years. Their lives have been so closely associated with the Whanganui River in
North Island that they believe the prosperousness of the river is also theirs.
Of course, since
a river can’t represent itself to court or society, two human representatives will
speak of its interests and wellbeing. This doesn’t sound so different from corporations
or incorporated entities being represented by their board members?
Enjoy reading
and thinking if any other non-human places or things should be recognized the
same legal status.
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