UK Shechita supporters herald legal win in Belgium
The Conference of European Rabbis praised the decision made by a constitutional court to protect traditional Jewish slaughter
British campaigners for the protection of kosher slaughter in Europe have hailed a legal win in Belgium after a constitutional court dismissed a challenge, ruling it permissible under the country’s laws.
In a statement, the Conference of European Rabbis said the court found that “the restriction of kosher slaughter excessively and unreasonably restricts freedom of religion and seriously harms the fundamental laws of human rights and religious rights in Belgium”.
Belgium’s Chief Rabbi Abraham Guigui, who led the campaign in the state of Wallonia, said the decision was “important in the message it conveys to all European countries where there are people who seek to restrict kosher slaughter”.
Shimon Cohen, campaign director at Shechita UK, welcomed the landmark ruling, saying: “We are delighted with the news from Belgium and we would like to pay tribute to Rabbi Guigui for his work in protecting Shechita.”
It comes after legislators in the Wallonia parliament launched a campaign against shechita, and pushed a law arguing that kosher slaughter should not be exempt from Belgian law stating that animals must be stunned before they are killed.
Ben Weyts, animal welfare minister in the government of the Flemish Region, had also called for a blanket ban on the custom, a policy that would have affected observant Jews and Muslims.
Shechita is currently banned in Scandinavia and Switzerland, while in Estonia, Austria and Poland the practice is subject to limitations. It was also banned in The Netherlands six years ago, but the country’s senate overturned it in 2012.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
