Slaughter of Animals
(Jersey) Law 1962[1]
A LAW with regard to the slaughter of
animals and the administration of slaughterhouses and knacker’s yards
Commencement
[see
endnotes]
1 Interpretation
In this Law, unless the context otherwise requires –
“animal” means any 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 or kid;
“contravention”, in relation to any provision of this Law,
includes a failure to comply with that provision;
“grant”, in relation to a licence, includes renew or
renewal, as the context requires;
“knacker’s yard” means any building, premises or
place provided by the States and administered by the Minister for use in connection
with the slaughtering of animals whose flesh is not intended for sale for human
consumption;
“mechanically-operated instrument” includes an
instrument for stunning by means of electricity;
“Minister” means the Minister for the Environment[2];
“public slaughterhouse” means any building, premises or
place provided by the States and administered by the Minister for use in connection
with the slaughtering of animals whose flesh is intended for sale for human
consumption;
“Superintendent” has the meaning assigned by Article 2;
“veterinary surgeon” means a veterinary surgeon
registered under the law for the time being regulating the exercise of that
profession in Jersey.[3]
2 Appointment
of Slaughterhouse Superintendent
(1) A States’ employee,
within the meaning of Article 2 of the Employment of States of
Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, shall be appointed to the post of
Slaughterhouse Superintendent (in this Law referred to as the “Superintendent”)
to exercise such powers as may be conferred, and to perform such duties as may
be imposed, on the Superintendent by or under this Law or any other enactment,
and to perform such other duties relating to the general administration of
public slaughterhouses and knacker’s yards as the Minister may from time
to time impose on the Superintendent.[4]
(2) Where the occasion
requires, the Minister may make temporary arrangements for the exercise by any person
of all or any of the functions of the Superintendent, and any person appointed
by virtue of any such arrangements to exercise those functions or any of them
shall, subject to the terms of the person’s appointment, have the same
powers and be subject to the same duties as the Superintendent.
3 Provisions
as to slaughter of animals
(1) Subject as provided by Article 5,
no animal shall be slaughtered elsewhere than at a public slaughterhouse or
knacker’s yard.
(2) No animal shall be
slaughtered otherwise than instantaneously by means of a mechanically operated
instrument in proper repair unless –
(a) 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; or
(b) by
such other means as may, by Order made by the Minister, be authorized for use,
it is rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes and such conditions
(if any) as may be imposed by the Order are complied with.
4 Prohibition
of slaughter and stunning except by a licensed slaughterer
(1) Subject as provided by Article 5,
no animal shall be slaughtered or stunned by any person except under and in
accordance with the conditions of a licence granted by the Minister and in
force under this Article.
(2) Every licence under
this Article shall specify –
(a) the
kinds of animals which may be slaughtered or stunned by the holder of the
licence; and
(b) the
types of instrument which may be used by the holder of the licence for
slaughtering or stunning any such animals,
and may, in such cases as may be prescribed by Order under Article 6,
but without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), be granted
subject to a condition prohibiting the slaughter of any animal in pursuance of
the licence except under the supervision of a person being the holder of a
licence in force under this Article which is not subject to a like condition.
(3) No licence shall be
granted under this Article except to a person of the age of 18 years or upwards
who is, in the opinion of the Minister, a fit and proper person to hold such a
licence.
(4) A licence under this Article
shall be in force for such period not exceeding one year as may be specified
therein and may be renewed from time to time at the discretion of the Minister.
(5) The Minister may refuse
an application for the grant of a licence under this Article if the applicant
has failed to comply with any condition of such a licence previously granted to
the applicant or has been convicted of an offence under –
(a) this Law
or any Order made thereunder;
(b) any
enactment repealed by this Law;
(c) the
relevant legislation (within the meaning of Article 1(1) of the Animal Health (Jersey) Law 2016); or
(d) the
Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2021.[5]
(6) The Minister may revoke
a licence granted under this Article –
(a) if
satisfied that the holder is no longer a fit and proper person to hold such a
licence; or
(b) if by
virtue of paragraph (5) an application by the holder for the grant of such
a licence could be refused.
(7) The Minister may at any
time suspend a licence granted under this Article for such period as the
Minister may determine and, in particular, may suspend any such licence held by
a person to whom by virtue of paragraph (5) an application for the grant
of such a licence could be refused.
(8) Any person aggrieved by
the refusal of the Minister to grant a licence under this Article or by the
suspension or revocation by the Minister of such a licence may appeal to the
Inferior Number of the Royal Court against such refusal, suspension
or revocation within one month of the intimation thereof, and the decision of
the Court shall be final.
(9) The holder of a licence
under this Article shall not without lawful excuse refuse or neglect to
slaughter any animal when lawfully required to do so.
5 Exceptions
(1) The provisions of Article 3(1)
shall not apply to the slaughter of an animal on the premises of the owner by
the holder of a licence granted under Article 4 specifically authorizing
him or her to slaughter animals elsewhere than at a public slaughterhouse or
knacker’s yard, on condition that –
(a) any
conditions imposed by the licence are complied with; and
(b) the
meat is consumed in the household of the owner or of some other person to whom the
owner has directly delivered it.
(2) The provisions of Articles 3(1)
and 4(1) shall not apply in respect of the slaughter of any animal by a
veterinary surgeon by reason of the fact that it is injured or diseased or
suspected of being diseased or has been or is suspected of having been in
contact with diseased animals.
6 Orders
for securing humane conditions of slaughter, etc.
The Minister may by Order make provision –
(a) for securing humane
conditions and practices in connection with the slaughter of animals and, in
particular for prescribing conditions to be observed in connection with the
slaughter of animals and the confinement and treatment of animals while
awaiting slaughter;
(b) for the administration
of public slaughterhouses and knacker’s yards; and
(c) generally for carrying
this Law into effect.
7 Penalties
(1) Any person who
slaughters or stuns, or attempts to slaughter or stun, any animal in
contravention of the provisions of Article 3 or 4(1), or knowingly makes
any false statement for the purpose of obtaining the grant of a licence under
this Law, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of 3 months and to a
fine of level 3 on the standard scale:
Provided that a person shall not be guilty of an offence in respect
of any such contravention as aforesaid if the person 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.[6]
(2) Any person who
contravenes the provisions of Article 4(9) shall be liable to a fine of
level 2 on the standard scale.[7]
8 Tariff
of charges
(1) The Minister shall from
time to time fix the tariff of charges to be made for the services provided at
public slaughterhouses and knacker’s yards including charges for the
services of any person licensed by the Minister to slaughter animals in accordance
with the provisions of this Law.
(2) It shall be the duty of
the Superintendent to keep posted up in a conspicuous place in every public
slaughterhouse and knacker’s yard a copy of the tariff of charges fixed
by the Minister under paragraph (1) and for the time being in force.
9 General
provisions as to Orders
(1) Any Order made under
this Law –
(a) may
make different provision in relation to different kinds of animals or different
public slaughterhouses or knacker’s yards;
(b) may
prescribe penalties for offences against the Order, not exceeding those
specified in Article 7(1); and
(c) may
contain such incidental and consequential provisions as may appear to the
Minister to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of the Order.
(2) [8]
10 Citation
This Law may be cited as the Slaughter of Animals (Jersey)
Law 1962.