Judge Calvete defines animals as non-human subjects of rights

Federal Judge Federico Calvete has issued a controversial ruling regarding the legal status of animals. While declaring a specific case involving rabbits at the Center for Advanced Studies in Tierra del Fuego (CADIC) as abstract because the disputed method of control was never implemented, Calvete asserted that animals are sentient beings and should be considered ‘non-human subjects of rights’ possessing ‘fundamental rights.’

The legal dispute originated in 2020 when animal protection groups challenged the potential use of aluminum phosphide to control rabbit populations, citing concerns over toxicity and animal suffering. Although CONICET abandoned the use of phosphine in favor of other management methods, the judge’s remarks on the legal standing of animals have sparked significant debate regarding the distinction between scientific sentience and legal rights.