Definition of ‘person’

• A person is a living human being who is entitled to the protection of the Legal Principle.

When do the legal rights of a ‘person’ apply?

• Animals are not included in the definition of a person. However, whether the law should afford an animal some limited right not to be aggressed against is something reasonable people disagree upon. As such, local communities can determine the extent to which, if at all, some or all animals are protected by the Legal Principle. People are always free to make rules that apply on their private property, including how their animals are to be treated. They also remain free to engage in voluntary agreements with other individuals to do the same.
• To what extent the Legal Principle applies to an unborn baby from the moment of conception is a relevant question to the issue of abortion. This question presents a grey area that local communities must decide. People always remain free to lobby local community members to support and adopt their preferred reasonable construction of the Legal Principle in any grey area.

Legal rights of a person

• The 3L Philosophy starts with the premise that each of us owns ourselves —the opposite of slavery.
  • Your body is therefore your property. When you use your body to peacefully acquire things, these things become an extension of your property. Hence, assault, murder, rape, etc., are property rights breaches and therefore violate the Legal Principle.
  • The Legal Principle is based on the premise of self-ownership and protects all people equally.