A River Was Just Granted the Same Legal Rights as a Human Being

In a world-first, New Zealand’s third largest river has just been granted the same legal rights as a human being. The new legislation essentially combines Western legal precedent with Maori mysticism. According to the Maori —a tribe of the Whanganui in the North Island who has been fighting to assert their rights over the river since the 1870s —their efforts to protect the river stems from the deep spiritual connection of the tribe to nature. “The approach of granting legal personality to a river is unique […][It] will have its own legal identity with all the corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a legal person,” says Attorney-General Chris Finlayson.