The New Zealand river that became a legal person

The New Zealand river that became a legal person rumboalla/Getty Images This river can sue you in a court of law In 2017, New Zealand granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River. Revered for centuries by the Whanganui tribes – who take their name, spirit and strength from the river they live near – it became the first river in the world to be recognised as a legal person in 2017, bringing closure to one of New Zealand’s longest-running court cases. The Maori, the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, had been fighting for more than 160 years to get legal protection for the river. The Whanganui River is not the only instance of a natural resource being granted legal personhood in New Zealand.