Recognise cetaceans as non-human persons under UK law

Summary

Formally recognise cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) as non-human persons under UK law. Modernise our legal framework to protect their rights to life, bodily integrity, and natural liberty, establish criminal offences for harm, and oppose international wild hunts and exploitation. Science confirms cetaceans are highly intelligent, self-aware, and conscious. While no sovereign state has passed national laws declaring cetaceans as non-human persons, momentum is growing. Indigenous Pacific leaders recently signed the He Whakaputanga Moana treaty, and Tonga is drafting formal personhood acts. Current UK laws treat these sentient beings as mere property. By modernising our legal framework, we protect vital apex predators and ensure justice follows modern scientific reality.

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Timeline

1. 4 August 2026

   Petition

   Formally recognise cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) as non-human persons under UK law. Modernise our legal framework to protect their rights to life, bodily integrity, and natural liberty, establish criminal offences for harm, and oppose international wild hunts and exploitation. Science confirms cetaceans are highly intelligent, self-aware, and conscious. While no sovereign state has passed national laws declaring cetaceans as non-human persons, momentum is growing. Indigenous Pacific leaders recently signed the He Whakaputanga Moana treaty, and Tonga is drafting formal personhood acts. Current UK laws treat these sentient beings as mere property. By modernising our legal framework, we protect vital apex predators and ensure justice follows modern scientific reality.

   Source: Petition

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