Halal School Meals Ban Could Be Challenged In Court

A move to ban unstunned halal meat from Lancashire schools could be delayed or overturned after the threat of a judicial review was made to Lancashire County Council. Councillors in Lancashire voted in October that in future any halal meat served in schools must be butchered from pre-stunned animals, with the exception of poultry. The ruling on beef and lamb was due to take effect when the council’s meat supply contract was renewed this month. However, there is a three month period from the time that Full Council made their decision in late October for any party which disagrees with the decision to apply for a judicial review. The county council has now revealed that it has been served with legal papers from the Lancashire Council of Mosques which effectively puts it on notice that a judicial review could go ahead unless the matter is resolved. County Coun. Geoff Driver, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “We are due to put on hold the new contract for supply of halal meat to schools. “We will continue to supply halal meat under the terms of the current contract while the legal matters are resolved.” The Council of Mosques said the decision would “only serve to increase Islamophobia and anti-Semitism”. Unstunned halal meat is currently supplied to 12,000 pupils at 27 schools including Burnley, Nelson and Clitheroe.

Originally published on www.pendleboy.co.uk