Germany court case: constitutional complaint against piglet castration without anesthesia
In November 2019, 20,000 male piglets challenged their castration without anaesthesia before the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany.Read More →
Rights Of Nature
This page identifies initiatives that frame ecological jurisprudence in terms of rights of nature. Initiatives are included in this category when they explicitly recognize any non-human element of Nature (e.g., ecosystems, plant species, animal species) or Nature in general as a subject with rights.
Wormerland (Netherlands) citizen proposal: rights of the Wijdse Kievitsweide
On 12 April, 2024, a letter was submitted to the Wormerland Municipal Council on behalf of the Wijdse Kievitsweide to annul development for a sports complex.Read More →
Zaanstad (Netherlands) proposal: rights of nature
On 11 January 2024, the Zaanstad Municipal Council Socialist Party submitted an agenda initiative about granting legal personality to natural areas in Zaanstad.Read More →
Deventer (Netherlands) Citizen’s Climate Council: nature as a legal entity
On 27 June, 2024, the Deventer Citizens’ Climate Council adopted a recommendation to designate select natural areas as legal entities with guardians.Read More →
Spain criminal court case: industrial agriculture and the pollution of the Mar Menor
On 20 May 2026, the Mar Menor lagoon appeared before the Provincial Court in Cartagena as a victim and private prosecutor in a criminal case.Read More →
Madrid (Spain): Declaration of the Rights of the Manzanares River
On November 15, 2025, a coalition of civil society groups and individuals issued the “Declaration of the Rights of the Manzanares River."Read More →
Sonora (Mexico) court case: on behalf of whales
On 30 March, 2026, a federal judge in Sonora granted a definitive suspension of Saguaro Energía LNG Project under Article 128 of Mexico’s Amparo Law.Read More →
Nijmegen (Netherlands): guardian of nature on Veur-Lent Island
On 11 March, 2026, the Nijmegen City Council adopted a motion that stated it believes the citizens’ initiative but called for it to be further developed.Read More →