Charities and Government Animal Welfare
Who Is Campaigning Against Non-Stun Halal Slaughter in the UK?
In 2024, 27 million animals were slaughtered for halal meat in the UK without being stunned first. UK law requires stunning before slaughter, but a religious exemption lets this happen legally. Every major animal welfare organisation in the country wants it stopped. The government will not act.
The Organisations
RSPCA
The UK's largest animal welfare charity has campaigned for years for a full ban on unstunned slaughter. It stresses it is not calling for a ban on halal meat — around 88% of halal animals in the UK are already stunned before death. It also wants to ban exports of unstunned meat. Unstunned halal slaughter rose by nearly 21% between 2022 and 2024.
Compassion in World Farming
Supports a full ban and has actively backed petitions to end unstunned slaughter. Their own petition calling for mandatory labelling on all meat passed 100,000 signatures and will be debated in Parliament. They criticised Parliament itself for serving unstunned halal meat in its own catering outlets.
Humanists UK
One of the most vocal campaigners. Calls for the complete removal of the religious exemption from animal welfare law. Has lobbied supermarkets directly and produced research showing that the majority of unstunned halal slaughterhouses have failed food hygiene inspections, compared to only one in seven ordinary slaughterhouses.
National Secular Society
Campaigns specifically to end religious exemptions to animal welfare laws. Has highlighted that Parliament serves unstunned meat on its own premises, calling it unacceptable.
British Veterinary Association
Represents vets across the UK and supports a full ban based on scientific evidence that unstunned animals experience significant pain and distress before losing consciousness.
Farm Animal Welfare Committee
The government's own advisory body. Has long recommended that all animals should be stunned before slaughter. The government ignores its own advice.
Workers forcing sheep through a slaughterhouse pen and restraint area
Source: Still from “HALAL SLAUGHTERHOUSE EXPOSED IN ENGLAND (EXTREMELY GRAPHIC)”, Joey Carbstrong / YouTube. Watch on YouTube
Why Can't They Stop It?
None of these organisations have the power to change the law. Only the government can do that. Despite two separate petitions passing 100,000 signatures and being debated in Parliament in 2025, the government confirmed it will not remove the religious exemption.
Despite this unusually broad coalition, the government's animal welfare strategy published at the end of 2025 set out measures to improve welfare in areas like pig, fish and crustacean slaughter but made no reference to religious slaughter practices whatsoever. FarmingUK
The most likely outcome currently being discussed is mandatory labelling, so consumers can see whether meat came from a stunned or unstunned animal. A government consultation response is expected by late 2026.
The Bottom Line
Every major animal welfare, veterinary and secularist body in the UK agrees unstunned slaughter causes unnecessary suffering and should end. The science supports them. The government's own advisors support them. Public opinion supports them. The government does not act.