Court issues injunction against Canadian Food Inspection Agency to halt guidelines disrupting ritual kosher slaughter in the country.
By JNS and United with Israel
Canadian Jewish organizations have triumphed in their effort to maintain the legality of the country’s kosher-certified meat preparation.
Last week, Canada’s Federal Court issued an interlocutory injunction against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to halt the implementation of new guidelines that have disrupted shechita (“ritual kosher slaughter”).
The new guidelines would require meat suppliers who do not slaughter animals using electric shocks to ensure humane slaughter by subjecting the animal to cognitive tests verifying it is unconscious beforehand. Kosher certifiers argued that the new regulations add processing time which discourages suppliers from ensuring the meat is kosher. Further, they said, kosher slaughter is at least as humane as the non-kosher technique because the animal “loses consciousness almost immediately.”
Canada’s two top Canadian kosher certifiers—MK Global Kosher Certification Agency and the Kashruth Council of Canada—partnered with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and other Jewish leaders.
In its ruling, the court stated that, “[B]ased on the evidence presented, the balance of convenience favors the Applicants. The public interest remains adequately protected and section 143 of the SFCR [requiring humane slaughter] may continue to be enforced even if the [new requirements] are not applied.” Further, the suspension of the new requirements “would have a low impact on the public’s interest and the CFIA’s mandate, while the Court’s refusal to grant injunctive relief would have a greater impact on the Applicants’ Charter rights.”
“Significantly, the judgment recognized that the current CFIA guidelines are clearly discriminatory,” said Kashruth Council of Canada managing director Richard Rabkin. “This should dispel the false perception that shechita does not abide by the highest standards of animal welfare.”
Shimon Koffler Fogel, president and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said “all segments of the community and its institutions collaborated in this effort, and the contributions of Federation CJA and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto were significant and deeply appreciated by all stakeholders.”
Rabbi Saul Emanuel, CEP of MK Global Kosher Certification Agency, stated that “we are gratified that the court validated shechita as a legitimate and humane approach that takes full account of animal welfare and meets the scientific standards established by CFIA.”