Millions of animals are suffering unnecessarily by being slaughtered without stunning to meet religious demands.
That's why we campaign to end religious exemptions to animal welfare laws.
Animal welfare law requires animals to be stunned before slaughter to minimise their pain, suffering and distress. The only exemption is for Jewish and Muslim communities to meet kosher and halal religious dietary preferences.
The scientific consensus is clear that it is more humane to stun an animal prior to slaughter. The slaughter of animals without pre-stunning is permitted in the UK despite a recommendation by the government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), that the practice should be banned. FAWC concluded that animals slaughtered without pre-stunning are likely to experience "very significant pain and distress".
RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association all support an end to non-stun slaughter to improve animal welfare at the time of death.
- 70% of Brits think stunning animals before slaughtering them is more ethical.
- 72% of the population think food produced from religious non-stun slaughter methods should be clearly labelled.
We support the right to religious freedom. But this is not an absolute right. Religious exemptions shouldn't be made to laws meant to prevent unnecessary animal cruelty.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to end the religious exemption that allows animals to be slaughtered without pre-stunning.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Consider labelling laws for non-stun meat, says government committee
Posted: Thu, 28 Jan 2021 15:07
Changes in law are needed to ensure meat from non-stun slaughter only reaches religious markets and not general consumers, a government committee has said.
The Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) has recommended a series of changes to religious non-stun slaughter regulations in order to reduce animal suffering.
The recommendations were made in a review on slaughter regulations published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) this week. The review aimed to assess the effectiveness of the law in protecting animal welfare at slaughter.
The AWC advises Defra and the Scottish and Welsh governments on the welfare of animals.
It recommended "tightening the intention that meat from non-stun religious slaughter be destined for religious markets and not the general consumer".
This "might also bring in" a requirement to label meat from non-stun slaughter, in addition to "supply and demand requirements".
The National Secular Society argues for such measures to be put in place to protect consumer rights and animal welfare while religious non-stun slaughter is permitted.
In 2018 NSS research found that meat from animals which have not been stunned before slaughter is widespread in UK supermarkets.
The AWC also recommended that animals that do not become unconscious after their necks are cut should be subject to a "post cut intervention stun" to reduce the time of suffering.
It also recommended improving the effectiveness of stunning techniques specific to halal slaughter.
Concerns from animal welfare groups
UK law requires that animals are stunned before slaughter, with an exemption for kosher or halal meat to meet Jewish and Muslim religious dietary preferences. This exemption has been criticised by animal welfare groups for causing unnecessary suffering.
The RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, the British Veterinary Association and the Humane Slaughter Association were among stakeholders consulted by Defra that raised animal welfare concerns regarding non-stun slaughter.
The review said a "number of stakeholders" reiterated "long held views that slaughter without stunning should be banned".
In the absence of a ban, stakeholders called for several measures which the NSS has also recently argued for:
- Introducing "method of slaughter labelling".
- Ensuring the supply of non-stun meat does not exceed local demand and ending the export of meat from non-stunned animals.
- Providing greater transparency of data regarding non-stun slaughter.
The review noted that the percentage of sheep slaughtered without stunning increased from 10% in 2011 to 25% in 2018. The percentage of poultry slaughtered without stunning increased from four per cent to 10% in the same period.
NSS comment
NSS head of research and policy Megan Manson said: "The government should take heed of the AWC's recommendations and introduce compulsory labelling for meat products that clearly indicate whether they came from non-stun slaughter.
"While exemptions permitting religious non-stun slaughter remain in place, labelling is the only way to ensure consumers can choose to avoid non-stun meat.
"The government should also note calls from stakeholders in its review to ban all forms of non-stun slaughter. Religious freedom is a qualified right, and it should be limited where it causes unnecessary suffering to animals."
Image by Erik Karits from Pixabay.
States may restrict non-stun slaughter on welfare grounds, ECJ rules
Posted: Fri, 18 Dec 2020 10:54
The EU's highest court, the European Court of Justice, has ruled that states subject to its jurisdiction may ban non-stun slaughter on animal welfare grounds.
In a ruling published on Thursday the ECJ said states may require all animals to be stunned before slaughter, including those slaughtered according to religious rites for kosher or halal meat.
The court upheld laws introduced in the Flemish region of Belgium and said restricting non-stun was not an undue infringement of the right to religious freedom, provided it was conducted for a legitimate purpose.
The court also noted a scientific consensus that prior stunning was the optimal means of reducing an animal's suffering at the time of slaughter. This backed up the similar case made by a range of animal welfare bodies.
The case
The Flemish region removed religious exemptions from its laws requiring all animals to be stunned before slaughter in 2017, in order to "eliminate all avoidable animal suffering".
The change in law requires animals slaughtered according to religious rites to receive a "reversible, non-lethal" stun, which it says achieves a balance between the protection of animal welfare and freedom of religion.
Several religious groups challenged the prohibition, claiming that it infringed the freedom of Jews and Muslims to slaughter animals for consumption according to religious teachings.
Freedom of religion is enshrined in Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, but this freedom may be limited in certain circumstances.
Animal welfare
EU regulations require animals to be stunned before slaughter because scientific studies show this reduces their suffering. However, member states are given the flexibility to make exceptions to this law for animals slaughtered according to religious rites.
The court said that because societies attach "increasing importance" to animal welfare, it may be taken into account "to a greater extent" in the context of ritual slaughter and help to justify laws that prohibit non-stun slaughter in EU countries.
The Belgian ban on non-stun slaughter therefore struck a "fair balance" between the importance of animal welfare and the freedom of Jews and Muslims to manifest their religion.
Furthermore, the ban did not prevent Jews or Muslims from obtaining meat imported from countries that permit non-stun slaughter, the court found.
NSS reaction
The National Secular Society, which campaigns for religious exemptions to UK animal welfare laws to be repealed, described the ruling as "reasonable and sensible".
A spokesperson for the NSS said: "This ruling is a reminder that religious freedom is a qualified right, and it can be limited where it causes unnecessary animal suffering.
"The government in the UK should take note and look again at the case made by a wide range of animal welfare groups for addressing the unnecessary cruelty caused by non-stun slaughter."
Non-stun in the UK
- Animal welfare legislation in the UK requires all animals to be stunned before slaughter in order to minimise suffering. There is an exemption is for religious communities to meet Jewish and Muslim religious dietary preferences.
- There is also no requirement for non-stun meat to be labelled. The NSS argues that, short of a repeal of the religious exemption that allows non-stun slaughter, labelling should be introduced.
- In 2019 it emerged that a large proportion of non-stun sheep meat is exported.
- In 2018 NSS research found that non-stun meat was widespread in UK supermarkets and at least 17 councils were supplying non-stun halal meat to schools.
Note: the ECJ and Brexit
- The ECJ is not expected to have jurisdiction over UK laws from 1 January, when the Brexit transition period ends.
Read a summary of the ruling on the Law & Religion UK blog.
Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay.
