The Finnish parliament constitutional committee decided after a 10-5 vote result that the proposal to forbid religiously motivated shechita and halal slaughter is not proportional with regards to freedom of religion and the agricultural committee took the same decision with a 12-3 vote.
According to the committees, the slaughter of animals for religious reasons should continue to be allowed in Finland under the current circumstances.
If the government’s bill is implemented, the animal to be slaughtered would always have to be stunned before starting the bloodletting. The proposed change would also apply to a special method of slaughter for religious reasons.
According to the Constitutional Law Committee, the proposal effectively means at least a ban on shechita slaughter related to the Jewish religion and halal slaughter related to Islam in Finland, affecting freedom of religion.
