London, UK – The Animal Law Foundation is set to face the Government in court next week in a legal challenge over the removal of welfare protections for chickens. The case will be heard on 3-4 February 2026 in the Royal Courts of Justice.
The dispute stems from an amendment made by the government to an EU derived welfare protection that previously prohibited the handling of chickens by their legs. This practice causes immense suffering to the animals and was the first dilution of welfare standards since Brexit.
Under the European Transport Regulation 1/2005, which was previously in effect in the UK, it was strictly forbidden to lift chickens by their legs during transport and related operations. The regulation stated that it was prohibited to “lift or drag the animals by head, ears, horns, legs, tail or fleece, or handle them in such a way as to cause them unnecessary pain or suffering.”
Handling chickens by their legs can result in significant pain and distress, as well as injuries such as fractures and dislocations. Inverted chickens can also suffocate, as their internal organs begin to crush their lungs, which are not protected by a diaphragm. Despite these known risks, handling chickens by their legs is a common practice on UK farms in order to maximize efficiency and profit when collecting chickens for slaughter.
The Animal Law Foundation has challenged the government’s decision to permit this practice in its Code of Practice for the Welfare of Laying Hens and Pullets and the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Meat Chickens and Meat Breeding Chickens. However, instead of enforcing the law or updating the codes, the government chose to change the law itself through a Statutory Instrument, which came into force on 22 July 2025.
In its legal challenge, The Animal Law Foundation will argue that the consultation exercise that led to the change in law was unfair. The High Court has already determined that the foundation has an arguable case.
Morgane Alting von Geusau, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator for The Animal Law Foundation, stated: “Consultations must be fair. While a public authority can have a ‘preferred’ outcome, it must not have a predetermined outcome or a closed mind. In this case, the government had already made it clear that its plan was to change the law to allow for the handling of chickens by their legs. The outcome of this hearing will have a significant impact on the lives of billions of chickens in the UK and will determine whether they are treated with compassion or simply viewed as commodities for profit.”
The Animal Law Foundation is being represented by Philip Rule KC.
The handling of chickens was brought to light in an investigation by Animal Justice Project, which exposed catchers seemingly grabbing as many as five distressed chickens in each hand.