Canadian Hechsherim Seek Injunction Over Shechita Regulations

Canadian Hechsherim Seek Injunction Over Shechita Regulations

By FrumNews.com

Montreal, Quebec — On Wednesday, Canadian hechsherim and Jewish groups requested an interlocutory injunction during a federal court hearing on shechitah limitations be suspended until a previous lawsuit filed against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is resolved. The hechsherim said they seek to protect the continued availability of kosher meat in Canada.

The hechsheirim says that voluminous documentation, scientific studies, and independent assessments in support of its position confirm that the Canadian shechita meet the highest standards of animal welfare have been submitted to the court in advance of the hearing that are taking take place at Federal Court in Montreal this week.

Central to the application is the assertion that the CFIA guidelines unjustifiably infringe on Jews’ freedom of religion and are discriminatory as they promote stereotypes and “prejudicial notions” about Jews and the tenets of their faith.

As previously reported by FrumNews.com, the two largest Canadian Hechsherim, the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR) and MK Kosher, along with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, filed suit against the (CFIA) after issuing a ruling requiring that non-stunned animals be subjected to cognitive tests to ensure they’re irreversibly unconscious before being processed—which is prohibited by Halacha, (which states that the animal must be uninjured when shechted).

The March lawsuit seeks to have them declared invalid because they infringe upon two sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and are unreasonable interpretations of Canada’s food safety laws.

“We are deeply disappointed and frustrated that, despite our collective best efforts over the last two years, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) – which regulates all commercial meat processing in Canada – was unwilling to allow shechita to continue in accordance with the recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the world-renowned animal welfare scientist and advocate, Dr. Temple Grandin,” observed Richard Rabkin, Managing Director, COR.

Rabbi Saul Emanuel, CEO of MK, added that “the science is unequivocal in support of the way shechita is conducted in Canada. Regrettably, given CFIA’s unjustified and untenable imposition of conditions on shechita, we had no choice but to seek court relief to ensure the survival of kosher meat production in Canada.”

Within the regulations, the CFIA has given Slaughterhouses an alternative, permitting them to run cognitive tests on animals to make sure that they are unconscious after shechita (or other slaughtering methods) are performed before proceeding with meat processing.

According to the March lawsuit, the number of kosher meat processing plants in Canada has fallen from six to four, halving the weekly yield of domestically produced kosher beef.

“Our goal throughout this process was to reach an agreement with CFIA regarding the legitimate place of shechita in Canada,” Shimon Koffler Fogel, President and CEO of CIJA said. Unfortunately, we have exhausted options that could lead to a settlement and are therefore obliged to seek a legal remedy to ensure the continued access of Canada’s 450,000 Jews to kosher food, and to preserve the infrastructure of the Jewish community.”

“Fundamentally, this issue is about food security and equity, and we are determined to stand up and ensure the Charter rights of Canadian Jewry are fully protected,” concluded Shimon Fogel.