Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024

1 Prohibition of export of livestock for slaughter

(1) A person may not export relevant livestock from Great Britain for slaughter.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence.

(3) A person “exports” relevant livestock from Great Britain if—

(a) the person sends, or attempts to send, relevant livestock from Great Britain to anywhere outside the British Islands,

(b) the person transports, or attempts to transport, relevant livestock from or through Great Britain to anywhere outside the British Islands, or

(c) the person organises, or attempts to organise, the transport of relevant livestock from or through Great Britain to anywhere outside the British Islands.

(4) “Relevant livestock” means—

(a) cattle and other bovine animals,

(b) horses and other equine animals,

(c) sheep,

(d) goats, or

(e) pigs or wild boar.

(5) A person exports relevant livestock “for slaughter” if the person exporting the relevant livestock knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, that the relevant livestock is being exported—

(a) for the purpose of being slaughtered, or

(b) for the purpose of being fattened for slaughter.

(6) A person who commits an offence under subsection (2) is liable—

(a) on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the maximum term for summary offences, to a fine or to both;

(b) on summary conviction in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to both.

(7) In subsection (6)(a), “the maximum term for summary offences” means—

(a) if the offence is committed before the time when section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 comes into force, 6 months;

(b) if the offence is committed after that time, 51 weeks.