Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Match funding opportunity to challenge the legality of Frankenchickens, published by Gavin Chappell-Bates on September 18, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the lives of millions of chickens raised for food in the UK.
In October 2024 The Humane League UK (THL UK) will be heading to the High Court to challenge the legality of fast-growing breeds of chicken - Frankenchickens.
We need to raise £55k to fund the hearing.
The Jeremy Coller Foundation has pledged to match funding half of the costs up to £28k. We need to raise a further £12.5k to maximise the match funding pot and fully fund the hearing.
Please contact me directly should you wish to donate and fight for 1 billion chickens.
Frankenchickens
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Frankenchickens' are selectively bred to grow unnaturally big and fast to maximise profits. They are destined to suffer extremely short and painful lives, suffer heart attacks, are often unable to walk and succumb to open sores from laying in their own waste. They grow 400% faster than is natural for their bodies, creating the biggest animal welfare crisis of our time.
In the UK alone, there are over 1 billion chickens raised for meat and over 90% are fast growing.
THL UK's three-year legal battle
In 2020, we saw an opportunity to challenge the legality of Frankenchickens and began building a legal case against the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
This culminated in a
judicial review taking place at the High Court in May 2023. Getting to this point was a major success in itself as only 5% of cases are granted a full hearing. The judge stated that a full hearing of the facts regarding fast-growing chickens was in the
public interest.
Represented by Advocates for Animals, we argued that fast-growing chicken breeds, known as Frankenchickens, are illegal under current animal welfare laws, as they suffer as a direct result of their breeding. Our case was bolstered by evidence given by the RSPCA which shows that fast-growing breeds of chicken do suffer, no matter the environment they're raised in. This was despite Defra attempting to
block the submission of the RSPCA's evidence.
The fight continues
In May 2023, the High Court
ruled that Defra hadn't behaved unlawfully in their interpretation of the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulation of 2007.
Shortly after the ruling we decided to
appeal the court's decision, and continue our
three-year legal battle.
There is overwhelming scientific consensus that chickens raised for meat suffer due to their breed. Defra itself has offered no evidence to contradict the RSPCA report and even accepted that there are welfare problems with fast-growing breeds of chicken.
In October 2023, we found out that our appeal had been granted.
In October 2024, we will be back in court, in front of a new judge, to take on Defra to end the cruel use of Frankenchickens in the UK. Our two-day court hearing is due to start on either Tuesday 22nd or Wednesday 23rd October.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to force the Government, with one decision from an appeals court judge, to transform one billion innocent lives per year.
Our chances of success
By virtue of being granted an appeal, our chances for a favourable final outcome have increased significantly. Being granted an appeal means that serious problems with the previous judge's findings have been uncovered, and the judge approving our appeal thinks our case still has merit that needs final and careful deliberation.
A positive ruling would mean that the judge found Defra's interpretation of the Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulation of 2007 illegal, and would compel them to create a new policy on fast growing breeds of chicken, one that would invariably lead to farmers being disincentivized or even banned from keeping f...

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