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2 S. Cross U. L. Rev. 1 (1998)
The Koko Dilemma - A Challenge to Legal Personality

handle is hein.journals/socrosu2 and id is 9 raw text is: The Koko Dilemma A Challenge to Legal Personality Jane Nosworthy* The concept of legal personality has developed to embrace all human beings, as well as a variety of non-human entities. Can this concept evolve further in response to societal change? Can legal personality be extended to animals? In the author's view, there is nothing inherent in the concept of legal personality which prevents its extension to animals. The author considers the past and present legal status of animals, and the possibility of altering animals' current status as legal 'non-persons', contending that not only is such change possible, but would be beneficial. Imagine if you will... This is a description of a remarkable being.' This being understands spoken English and communicates in sign language, employing a vocabulary in excess of one thousand words. She is also learning to read. She has been observed making faces at herself in front of a mirror. If she has misbehaved, she has been known to lie in order to avoid the consequences of her behaviour. She paints and draws, and enjoys imaginary play, alone or with others. She laughs at jokes. Sometimes, if hurt or frightened or left alone, she cries or screams. She can talk about her feelings and about what happens when one dies. She grieves for her cat, who died in a car accident. This being's name is Koko, and she is a gorilla. Clearly, she is not a human being. Could she be a person? Bioethicist Peter Singer is among those who would argue that Koko is as much a person as she is a gorilla. This paper explores some issues related to the extension of personhood to include nonhuman animals like Koko. In particular, it focuses on the question of whether there is anything inherent in the Final year LLB student, University of Adelaide. 1 The author is indebted for this description of Koko to Patterson, F, and Gordon, W, The Case for the Personhood of Gorillas, in Cavalieri, P, and Singer, P, (eds), The Great Ape Project Equahty Beyond Humanity, Fourth Estate, London, 1993, pp 58-9. 1 Vol 2 - November 1998

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