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Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933.
This Act came into operation on the 1st January, 1934. The local authorities
for enforcing the Act are for the City of London and the Metropolitan Cattle Market,
the Common Council of the City of London, elsewhere in London the Metropolitan
Borough Councils, and outside London, Town Councils and District Councils.
The Act provides (by Sec. 1) that every animal to be slaughtered shall be
instantaneously slaughtered, or shall by stunning be instantaneously rendered insensible
to pain until death supervenes, such slaughtering or stunning to be effected
by means of a mechanically-operated instrument. This requirement does not apply
to sheep unless the local authority apply it by resolution:, and the local authority
is required within twelve months of the passing of the Act to consider whether they
will by resolution apply the Section to sheep; on the other hand by resolution goats
can be excluded. The requirement applies to pigs subject to a proviso that if
electrical energy is not available, that is a defence to proceedings for contravention
of the Section unless the prosecution show that it could reasonably be made
available. Slaughter by a Jew or Mohammedan for food for his co-religionists is
exempt from the Section subject to the former (Jew) being licenced by a. Rabbinical
Commission constituted in accordance with the first schedule of the Act.
A new duty placed on local authorities is that of licensing slaughtermen
(Sec. 3). These licences may only be granted to persons of the age of eighteen
years or upwards who are, in the opinion of the local authority, fit and proper to
hold a licence. The licence is to be in force for such period not exceeding three
years as is specified therein and may be renewed from time to time at the discretion
of the local authority. A fee not exceeding two shillings may be charged by the
local authority for each licence and a fee not exceeding one shilling for each renewal.
Provision is made for suspension or revocation of licences; aggrieved persons have
the right of appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction. It is important to note
that a licencc is available not only in the district of the authority granting it but
also throughout England and Wales; the licence must, however, be produced on
demand to the local authority in whose district the licensee is working.
Sec. 4 and the second schedule of the Act gives statutory force to requirements
respecting slaughter-houses and knackers' yards most of which have long been
normal in by-laws made by local authorities with respect to slaughter-houses.
Other provisions of the Act are that local authorities who have established a
slaughter-house are by Sec. 6 given power to employ a person- to slaughter or stun
animals and to make reasonable charge for the services of persons so employed.
Right of entry for inspection is given to Medical Officers of Health and Sanitary
Inspectors. (Sec. 7.)
The Act impliedly supersedes by-laws covering the same ground, but existing
by-laws dealing with matters not covered by the Act. are not affected, nor is the
power and duly to make by-laws for the licensing and registering of slaughterhouses
and for securing their sanitary condition.