Richard Collins: Is an animal a 'legal person' with rights?

Should an elephant be deemed a 'legal person' and released from 'solitary confinement'

Legal attempts have been made to change the legal status of animals .

Donald Trump has appointed 200 federal judges to courts in the US; 24% of active judges there are his nominees. They were chosen, presumably, for their agreement with his outlook and opinions. Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and making coal 'great again', the Lord of Misrule is no friend to conservationists. He has rowed back on environmental-protection measures wherever he could. The legacy of judicial appointments in the litigious US does not augur well for wildlife. President-elect Joe Biden's administration faces an uphill battle to repair the damage.

One of the more unusual cases awaiting adjudication concerns Happy, a 49-year-old female Asian elephant. She has lived alone in a half-hectare compound at Bronx Zoo for 14 years. Earlier this month, the New York State appellate division of the supreme court was asked to order her transfer to more suitable accommodation.