Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Watch

The Feed

Should a river have the same legal rights as a person? Here's the case for giving nature legal rights.

Published
New Zealand's Whanganui River is, legally speaking, a person, with the same rights or you or me. Alice Matthews investigates the case for giving nature legal rights, and what those rights really mean.
Share

Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world