The Legal Personification of Watercourses
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The following article explores the notion of rights of nature, i.e., the conferment of legal personality to elements of the natural environment, such as rivers or entire ecosystems, in the context of French law. To support its argumentation, the text draws on the historical conceptualisation of legal personality and its first expansion beyond human beings during the industrial era to include business entities. Moreover, it considers the usefulness of its employment – as well as the potential obstacles – not only in the context of the natural environment, but also the emerging issue of artificial intelligence.
Source: Studia Iuridica
Author: Jacques Leroy
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7167938533