Animal slaughter is regulated by law and, due to the growing concern to take into account animal suffering, the stunning process has become mandatory in the European Union since 1979 to avoid unnecessary suffering. However, most Member States have made exceptions regarding religious slaughter in order to accommodate Islamic and Jewish communities and their traditions. In the UK, stunning animals before slaughter is mandatory to avoid unnecessary suffering and is regulated by both European and national legislation. Stunning is the process of rendering the animal unconscious before killing it to avoid unnecessary suffering. The main body responsible for this process is DEFRA (Development, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). It is the Slaughter of Animals Act 1933 that first introduced this requirement in England and Wales. Currently, the relevant legislation governing the religious slaughter of animals in national law is the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 with its Schedule 12. Subsequently, the Welfare of Animals at the times of killing (England) Regulations 2013 was brought into force and extended to activities not covered by WASK 1995. European Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at killing is now in force and replaced Directive 93/119 in 2013. All this ensures the prohibition of avoidable emotions, pain or suffering by imposing specific killing methods and licenses on the slaughtered people who must be trained. However, the law allows exceptions for religious slaughter. In fact, it is stated that the Jewish method of killing called Schechita and the Muslim one called Dhabihah are permitted as long as they avoid a... means of paper... towards them, as we can in this process, we must also be respectful of religious freedom. “Slaughter cannot be humane in any way, because slaughter is cruel. Yet, since animal slaughter is a necessity, it must be carried out in the most humane way possible." Bibliography: https://www.gov.uk/farm-animal-welfare-at-slaughter Religious Slaughter Standards Note: SN/SC/1314 , Last updated: 11 June 2012, Author: Christopher Barclay, Science and Environment Section , House of Commons Masri Library, Al-Hafiz Basheer Ahmad (1993). Animal Welfare in Islam Foltz, Richard C. (2006). Animals in Islamic tradition and Muslim cultures Religious slaughter: evaluation of current practices in selected countries, Velarde, A; Rodriguez, P; Dalmau, A…Government Regulations on Schechita (Jewish Religious Slaughter) in the Twenty-First Century: Are They Ethical? Zivotofsky