Slaughter of Animals Act 1933
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1933 c. 39 |
| Year | 1933 |
Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933
(23 & 24 Geo. 5.) CHAPTER 39.
An Act to provide for the humane and scientific slaughter of animals; and for purposes connected therewith.
[28th July 1933]
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Provisions as to slaughter of certain animals in slaughter-houses and knackers' yards.
(1) No animal to which this section applies shall be slaughtered in a slaughter-house or knacker's yard except in accordance with the following provisions, that is to say, every such animal shall be instantaneously slaughtered, or shall by stunning be instantaneously rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes, and such slaughtering or stunning shall be effected by means of a mechanically-operated instrument in proper repair:
Provided that no person shall be liable for any contravention of the provisions of this subsection in respect of—
(a ) the slaughter of any pig, boar, hog, or sow in a slaughter-house or knacker's yard in which there is not available a supply of electrical energy unless it is proved that such a supply could reasonably have been made available; or
(b ) the slaughter of any animal slaughtered without the infliction of unnecessary suffering—
(i) by the Jewish method for the food of Jews and by a Jew duly licensed for the purpose by the Rabbinical Commission constituted in accordance with the provisions of the First Schedule to this Act; or
(ii) by the Mohammedan method for the food of Mohammedans and by a Mohammedan.
(2) This section shall not apply within the area of any local authority to any animal which in that area is exempt from the application thereof under the section of this Act next following, but save as aforesaid this section applies to all animals.
2 Application of last foregoing section.
(1) Every local authority shall within twelve months after the passing of this Act consider the question whether they will pass a resolution applying the last foregoing section to all or any of the following animals, that is to say, sheep, ewes, wethers, rams and lambs; and if such a resolution is at any time (whether within the said twelve months or thereafter) passed by a local authority relating to any such animals, the last foregoing section shall in their area apply to those animals accordingly, but in any area in which no such resolution is in force the said animals shall be exempt from the application of the last foregoing section.
(2) If at any time a resolution is passed by a local authority exempting either goats or kids or both such animals from the application of the last foregoing section in their area, the animals to which the resolution relates shall while the resolution is in force accordingly be exempt in that area from the application of the last foregoing section.
(3) The following provisions shall have effect with respect to any such resolution as is mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this section—
(a ) not less than twenty-eight days before the meeting of the local authority at which the resolution is to be proposed special notice of the meeting and of the intention to propose the resolution shall be given to every member of the local authority, and the like notice shall also be inserted at least once in one or more of the newspapers circulated within the area of the authority;
(b ) a resolution, after being passed, shall be published by advertisement in one or more of the newspapers circulated within the area of the local authority by whom it was passed, and may also be published otherwise in such manner as the local authority think sufficient for giving notice thereof to all persons interested;
(c ) a copy of every such resolution passed by a local authority shall be sent to the Minister of Health;
(d ) any such resolution passed by a local authority may be rescinded or varied by a subsequent resolution, but the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall apply with respect to any such subsequent resolution.
(4) The following provisions shall have effect with respect to any alteration of the areas of local authorities, that is to say:
(a ) any resolution in force under this section in the altered areas shall—
(i) as respects any areas reduced, continue in force until rescinded or varied by the local authority;
(b ) if at any time a local authority is newly constituted or the area of any local authority is extended, the local authority shall consider the question specified in subsection (1) of this section within three months after the constitution of the authority or after the extension, as the case may be.
3 Prohibition of slaughter and stunning except by licensed slaughter-men.
(1) No animal shall be slaughtered or stunned in a slaughter-house or knacker's yard by any person who is not the holder of a licence granted by a local authority and in force under this section:
Provided that this subsection shall not apply with respect to the slaughter of any animal under the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1894 to 1927, by an officer of or person employed by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
(2) No licence shall be granted under this section except to a person of the age of eighteen years or upwards who is, in the opinion of the local...
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