#SupremeCourt's CJI Bobde led bench is hearing a plea seeking inter alia, declaration of the entire animal kingdom including avian and aquatic species as "legal entities" having a distinct persona with corresponding rights of a living person.

#CJI: You want legal entity to the extent that they can sue and be sued? You are a young man, possibly haven't thought it through.

Advocate seeks to makes submissions.

#CJI: Will you keep on talking or listen to us?
You want to give a personality to them?

Advocate: Yes.

#CJI: Then they can be sued also.

Advocate: Judgments say animals are akin to humans.

#CJI: But they are not equal to human beings. Your dog is equal to you?

Adv.: Religious texts place on record. They are equal to human beings, just lower in strata in evolution. They have feelings, intentions.

#CJI: So lets make trees also legal entities.

Adv. for petitioner: Situation in our country bad. They are being hurt.

#CJI: You are talking about an increase in liability. We understand humans should be punished for hurting animals but we are on the legal entity argument.

#CJI: I think you are just confused, with all due respect.
Where is your prayer?

Adv. for petitioner: Situation of animals needs to be elevated beyond property. Animals being tortured. I have raised the requisite prayer in plea.

#CJI: We will delete prayer (a) and we will issue notice .

Adv. for Petitioner: That will cause prejudice to me in terms of a PIL filed in the Uttarakhand HC.

#CJI: Alright we will issue notice. Very unlikely that we will allow prayer on legal entity. Get SLP from HC.