"Court Rules Chimps Don't Have Same Rights As People"

"[T]he New York Supreme Court's appellate division declined to extend habeas corpus to Tommy. Here's an excerpt from the decision:"

"Needless to say, unlike human beings, chimpanzees cannot bear any legal duties, submit to societal responsibilities or be held legally accountable for their actions. In our view, it is this incapability to bear any legal responsibilities and societal duties that renders it inappropriate to confer upon chimpanzees the legal rights — such as the fundamental right to liberty protected by the writ of habeas corpus — that have been afforded to human beings."