Page 34 - Coespu 2018-4

(theft aggravated by killing and illegal appropriation), 635 (damage aggravated by killing alone)
and 638 (killing or
damage of animals
belonging to others),
protected only the
private ownership of
the animal. The new
art. 544-ter of the
Penal Code finally
recognised injurious
conduct towards the
animal itself, as
clarified by the
Court of Appeal
(sentence no.
24734/2010).
A new promising
frontier towards giving legal personality to animals, plants and habitats was finally opened up by
inclusion of “the right of Nature to be respected or not exploited”, the “right to live in a non-
polluted environment” and the “prohibition of the abuse or misuse of natural resources” among the
third-generation fundamental human rights themselves (Bobbio, 1990).

written by:
Lt. Col. Bruno Petriccione
Carabinieri (Biodiversity and Park Protection Dept.)

REFERENCES
Baldin S., 2014a – I diritti della natura nelle costituzioni di Ecuador e Bolivia. Visioni LatinoAmericane, 10.
Baldin S., 2014b – I diritti della natura: i risvolti giuridici dell’ética ambiental exigente in America Latina. Forum di Quaderni Costituzionali, Università
degli studi di Trieste.
Bobbio N., 1990 – L’età dei diritti. Einaudi.
Cullinan C., 2011 – The Universal Declaration of The Rights of Mother Earth: An overview. In: Various authors, Does Nature Have Rights?
Transforming Grassroots Organizing to Protect People and the Planet. http://www.globalexchange.org/communityrights/rightsofnature/report.
Morris J.D.K. & Ruru J., 2010 – Giving Voice to Rivers: Legal Personality as a Vehicle for Recognising Indigenous Peoples’ Relationships to Water?
Australian Indigenous Law Rev., 2.

Mwenda A. & Kibutu T.N, 2012 – Implications of the New Constitution on Environmental Management in Kenya. Law, Environment and
Development Journal, 8/1.
Rescigno F., 2005 – I diritti degli animali. Da res a soggetti. Giappichelli, Turin.
Stone C.D., 1973 – Should Trees Have Standing? Law, Morality, and the Environment. Oxford University Press.

32