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38
The Slaughter of Animals Act, 1933, came into operation on the
1st January, 1934. The Act provides for the humane and scientific
killing of animals and for purposes connected therewith, and also
places on local authorities the new duty of licensing slaughtermen.
With regard to the first provision, there is at the present time
the undermentioned bye-law in operation, made by the London
County Council in March, 1923, and which was based upon model
bye-laws issued by the Ministry of Health: —
"A person shall not in a slaughterhouse proceed to slaughter
any animal until the same shall have been effectually stunned
and such stunning shall, except as hereafter provided, be effected
with a mechanically operated instrument, suitable and sufficient
for the purpose."
The local authorities for enforcing the provisions of the Act in
the County of London are, as in the case of the London County
Council Bye-law referred to, the Metropolitan Borough Councils.
The Act requires that animals to be slaughtered in slaughterhouses
or knackers' yards 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,
which is defined to include an electrical instrument.
The animals to which this Act applies or may apply are as
follows: —horse, mare, gelding, pony, foal, colt, filly, stallion, ass,
donkey, mule, bull, cow, bullock, heifer, calf, steer, ox, sheep, ewe,
wether, ram, lamb, pig, boar, hog, sow, goat, kid. No person shall
be liable for any contravention in respect of the slaughter of a pig,
boar, hog or sow unless a supply of electrical energy is available or
can reasonably be made available. Slaughter by a Jew or a
Mohammedan for his co-religionists is exempt from these provisions
of the Act, but as regards the former, only if he is licensed by a
Commission which is to be established under the first Schedule of
the Act.
Every local authority is required within twelve months after the
passing of the Act, i.e., before the 28th July, 1934, to consider