{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/slaughter-of-animals-humane-conditions-scotland-regulations-1990/regulation-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/slaughter-of-animals-humane-conditions-scotland-regulations-1990/regulation-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1990/1240",
  "legislation_title": "The Slaughter of Animals (Humane Conditions) (Scotland) Regulations 1990",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/slaughter-of-animals-humane-conditions-scotland-regulations-1990",
  "path": "regulation/2",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires–\n“the Act” means the Slaughter of Animals (Scotland) Act 1980;\n“animal” means any description of cattle, sheep, goat, swine or horse (including asses, ponies, hinnies or mules);\n“bovine” means a bull, ox, bullock, cow, heifer or steer or a calf which is too large to be restrained on a cradle or table, and for the purposes of regulations 5, 9, 14 and 24 of these Regulations includes all calves;\n“casting pen” means a rotary pen capable of casting animals for slaughter;\n“contravention” in relation to any provision of these Regulations includes a failure to comply with that provision and “contravene” shall be construed accordingly;\n“knacker’s yard” means any building or place used for the killing of animals the flesh of which is not intended for human consumption; and “knacker” means a person whose business it is to carry out such killing;\n“lairage” means any premises or yard used for the confinement of animals awaiting slaughter forming part of or used in connection with a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard and, for the purposes of regulations 3 and 5 of these Regulations, includes a field so used;\n“local authority” means an islands or district council;\n“mechanically-operated instrument”, except for the purposes of regulations 14(b) and 16(1)(b), includes an instrument for stunning by means of electricity;\n“occupier” means–\n(a) in relation to a slaughterhouse provided by a local authority, that local authority;\n(b) in relation to any premises used as a slaughterhouse, the person registered in respect of the premises for that purpose under section 4 of the Act, and\n(c) in relation to premises used as a knacker’s yard, the person holding a licence in respect thereof under section 6 of the Act;\n“restraining pen” means a pen or compartment which is–\n(a) suitable for restraining in an upright position a bovine while it is being slaughtered by the Jewish or Muslim method;\n(b) constructed so as to confine one such animal at a time, without discomfort, and so as to prevent any substantial movement of the animal forwards, backwards or sideways once it has been placed in position for slaughter; and\n(c) the subject of an approval by the Secretary of State under regulation 20 of these Regulations;\n“slaughterhall” means that part of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard in which the actual slaughtering of any animal or the dressing of any carcase is carried out;\n“slaughterhouse” means any building or place used for the killing of animals the flesh of which is intended for sale for human consumption; and “slaughterman” means a person whose business it is to carry out such killing;\n“sticking” means the severance of the major blood vessels in the neck or immediately anterior to the heart by means of a knife and “stuck” shall be construed accordingly;\n“stunning pen” means a pen or compartment which is suitable for confining a bovine while it is being stunned and which is so constructed as to confine, without discomfort, only one such animal at a time and to prevent any substantial movement of the animal forwards, backwards or sideways;\n“vehicle” means any vehicle (including a trailer of any description) constructed or adapted for use on a road.\n(2) Any provision of these Regulations which applies to an animal awaiting slaughter applies until the animal is dead.\n(3) Any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation shall be construed as a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/1240/regulation/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T15:19:10.885467+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}