37 Methods of slaughter of certain swine otherwise than in slaughterhouses or knackers’ yards.E+W
(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, no swine exceeding twelve weeks in age shall, elsewhere than in a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard, be slaughtered otherwise than instantaneously by means of a mechanically-operated instrument in proper repair unless by stunning, effected by means of a mechanically-operated instrument or an instrument for stunning by means of electricity, being in either case an instrument in proper repair, it is instantaneously rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes.
(2)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to the slaughter of swine at a laboratory, research station or similar institution if the slaughtering is done for the purposes of the diagnosis of disease or for the purposes of research in connection with the arts of veterinary surgery or medicine.
(3)Any person who slaughters or attempts to slaughter any swine in contravention of subsection (1) above shall be guilty of an offence, unless he proves that by reason of an accident or other emergency the contravention was necessary for preventing physical injury or suffering to any person or animal.