Ecuador National Law: rights of non-human animals
In 2022, a draft national law in Ecuador on the rights of non-human animals was formally presented to the National Assembly by Ecuador’s Defensoría del Pueblo.Read More →
Animal
This page identifies ecological jurisprudence initiatives in which the subject of the initiative is an individual animal, an animal species, or animals in general.
Grisons (Switzerland) court case: rights of wolves and children
In 2024, a child took legal action contesting a culling order of wolves in the Canton of Grisons, arguing it violates the rights of nature and the child.Read More →
Bumblebee FOI Request (Switzerland): Federal Chancellery and GS-DETEC
In 2025, an extinct bumblebee (Bombus confusus) filed a Freedom of Information request in Switzerland on the government’s handling of the ecological crisis.Read More →
New Zealand Tohorā Oranga Bill: legal personhood of whales
On 5 February 2026, MP Teanau Tuiono lodged a member's bill, the Tohorā Oranga Bill, in the New Zealand parliament, seeking to give whales inherent rights. Read More →
Berkeley (USA) Resolution: safe passage of whales, sea turtles, and marine wildlife
In February 2025, a resolution was submitted to establish the City of Berkeley’s commitment to supporting free and safe passage of marine wildlife in its watersRead More →
Alameda (USA) Resolution: safe passage of whales, sea turtles, and marine wildlife
On 15 October 2024, the City of Alameda adopted a resolution supporting the free and safe passage of whales, sea turtles, and other marine wildlife in its waterRead More →
Perú National Law: stingless bees a matter of national interest
On 9 January 2025, Peru enacted Law No. 32235, declaring the Native Stingless Bee a matter of national interest and the flora it depends on a national treasure.Read More →
Switzerland Court Case: life of a mouse and foxes crossing a roadway
Whether two foxes or a single mouse, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court ruled that innate human respect for all animal life means protecting, not destroying it.Read More →