Ulta Pulta
Animal justice
Jaspal Bhatti

SWITZERLAND is going have a referendum soon on whether domesticated creatures should have the right to be represented by lawyers in the court. If the move is successful in Switzerland, other countries may follow suit. Parents would proudly tell their friends, "Hamara beta kutton ka vakeel hai (Our son is a lawyer for dogs)." You never know one day some dogs get together, hire a lawyer and sue Dharmender bhaji for using a derogatory dialogue against them, ‘Oye kutte, kameeney, mein tera khoon pee jaoonga?

Once the pets get the legal right to engage advocates, many new kinds of disputes might surface. May be a dog or a cow that has served their master for years could claim their share in the property after the master’s death. Legal battle between the Ambanis would become more entertaining if their pets, too, with the help of likes of Jethmalani, walk away with substantial share in natural gas and their other assets.

Though it is still not clear if this thing happens in India, will there be special courts for animal justice or the existing courts will accommodate both men and animals moving about in court-yards?

An animal activist-lawyer dragged his neighbour to court for demeaning his dog. "My Lord, my neighbour has a skinny and lazy dog that sleeps most of its time and has never barked what to talk of biting, but my neighbour has put up a notice on his gate saying ‘beware of dog’. Isn’t it the insult to a dog, who never creates trouble?" The neighbour said, "My Lord, I have put up the warning so that no body trips over my dog."

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