Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Made10th March 2000

Coming into operation12th April 2000

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development1 being a Department designated2 for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 19723 in relation to the common agricultural policy of the European Community, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by the said section 2(2) and of every other power enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and shall come into operation on 12th April 2000.

2

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 19544 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the New Assembly.

Amendment of Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19962

1

The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19965 shall be amended as provided in paragraphs (2) to (4).

2

In regulation 14(b) (the slaughter of animals elsewhere than in a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard) the words “subject to regulation 22,” shall be deleted.

3

In regulation 22 for the words “Schedule 5 (which relates to the stunning and killing of animals)” there shall be substituted the words “The requirement to stun an animal before slaughter in regulation 9(c)”.

4

In Schedule 12 (additional provisions for slaughter by a religious method) paragraph 8 shall be replaced by the following paragraph:

8Prohibition against slaughter by a religious method elsewhere than in a slaughterhouse
A person shall not slaughter any animal by a religious method, or cause or permit any animal to be so slaughtered, elsewhere than in a slaughterhouse licensed under regulation 4 of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 19976

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on 10th March 2000.

R. S. JohnstonSenior Officer of theDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”).

They amend regulations 14 and 22 of and Schedule 12 to the 1996 Regulations, so as to prohibit the religious slaughter of animals or birds unless it takes place—

a

in the case of animals in a licensed slaughterhouse; and

b

in the case of birds to slaughterhouses as defined in the 1996 Regulations.

The amendments made by these Regulations give effect to Article 9(1) of Council Directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing (O.J. No. L340, 31.12.93, p. 12).