Match funding opportunity to challenge the legality of Frankenchickens

By Gavin Chappell-Bates @ 2024-09-18T11:56 (+84)

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. 

*UPDATED* We have now raised all funds required. Thank you for all your support with this.

Please contact me directly should you wish to donate and fight for 1 billion chickens. 

Frankenchickens

‘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 fast growing birds. Essentially, Defra would be forced by the courts to move against the use of fast growing breeds. What that looks like in terms of actual policy implementation would become clear in due course after the hearing. 

Whilst we are confident that we have the facts to support our case and win, even if we don’t win, we have another opportunity to continue the debate and discussion about Frankenchickens in the public arena, to raise further awareness and garner more support as we continue to work toward a more compassionate world without fast-growing breeds of chicken. 

During our previous court hearing we secured more broadcast media coverage in the two days of the case than we did in the previous 12 months, sparking a national conversation about the cruelty of breeding Frankenchickens and making it the single biggest media impact of any action since our inception, with a potential reach of over 350 million people. 

How you can help us win

We have been able to secure a cost cap from the court, which means, if we lose the case, we are only liable to pay Defra’s costs up to £30,000. Without this cost cap we would likely have not been able to continue with our appeal as Defra’s legal fees could be in excess of £300,000.

Regardless, £30,000 is still a significant sum. We will also have our own legal fees, which have been estimated at £20,000 (even with one Barrister working on the case fully pro bono). We are also budgeting £5,000 for on-the-ground activities on the day to increase awareness and impact, meaning we will need £55,000 (approximately $73k) in total to fund the appeal. 

• THL UK estimated legal fees: £30,000
• Defra legal fees (if we lose): £20,000
• On-the-ground activities: £5,000
• Total: £55,000

The Jeremy Coller Foundation has pledged to match fund up to £28,000 of these costs, providing that we can find the funding to match this. 

*UPDATED* We have secured all funds required to benefit from the full match funding pot and to cover our costs. 

This is a true match, as we will only receive the equivalent we raise in donations. 

This will also be the first time that we have received funding from The Jeremy Coller Foundation. 

To make a donation

Should you wish to making a donation to maximise the match funding pot and help us fight for chickens then please contact me directly:

• Gavin Chappell-Bates, Head of Development, THL UK
• gcbates@thehumaneleague.org.uk 
• 01273 569305

The Humane League UK

The Humane League UK is a UK registered charity working to end the abuse of animals raised for food. 

Whilst we’re still a fairly young organisation, we have already achieved some big wins for the animals. This is one of the reasons why we, as part of THL, are recommended by Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) as one of the most effective animal protection organisations in the world. 

THL is the only organisation to have been recommended every year in the history of ACE’s reviews. Their continued endorsement underscores our effectiveness and commitment to creating a better world for animals. They have evaluated us to be an ‘exceptional’ example of effective advocacy:

‘Giving to THL is an excellent opportunity to support initiatives that create the most positive change for animals.’

Our vision is that by 2050, we've stopped the worst and most widespread abuse of animals raised for food, and they’re treated with far greater compassion.

• Our theory of change
• Our strategic priorities 2024-27
• Our 2023-24 annual report