A legal person is a human or non-human entity granted legal rights and obligations, serving as a legal fiction that unifies natural persons, corporations, and states under a common framework. This concept, rooted in Roman law and refined through canon and common law, allows entities like corporations to enter contracts, hold property, and face liability independently of individuals.
Sir John W. Salmond emphasized its dependence on representatives and legal imagination, while the Indian Evidence Act highlighted its role in determining legal status. The Harvard Law Review noted its ethical and practical aspects, and modern cases increasingly extend personhood to rivers and ecosystems, reflecting its expanding scope beyond traditional legal boundaries.