Legal Personhood and Its Implications

The concept of legal personhood has taken an interesting turn with a recent case in New Zealand where a mountain has been granted legal status as a person. This raises questions about the extent to which legal personhood can apply, not just to mountains but also to natural entities like trees, which have previously been afforded similar rights, as seen in Athens, Georgia. The implications are significant, as they challenge traditional notions of ownership, property rights, and environmental stewardship. If corporations can be viewed as persons under laws like Citizens United, then this expansive view of legal personhood could alter how society interacts with the natural world and legislative frameworks.