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SC suspends Centre’s ban on trade in cattle for slaughter
The Centre responded to the top court’s order saying it would re-notify the order after considering feedback. The new Regulation of Livestock Market Rules, issued on May 23, had made the sale of cattle for slaughter illegal.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the Centre’s notification on purchase of cattle for slaughter across the country, essentially backing a Madras High Court order for Tamil Nadu. The Centre responded to the top court’s order saying it would re-notify the order after considering feedback. The new Regulation of Livestock Market Rules, issued on May 23, had made the sale of cattle for slaughter illegal.
“Needless to say that the interim direction issued by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court shall continue and extend to the entire country,” the SC bench observed on Tuesday.
In response, the Centre said it was seized of the matter and would consider various suggestions in the notification. “The Ministry of Environment and Forests and others authorities concerned are looking into various suggestions and objections to the notification and a fresh amended one will be re-notified,” Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha, appearing for the Centre, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Back in May, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had stayed the Centre’s notification for four weeks. The bench, comprising of Justices M V Muralidharan and C V Karthikeyan, were hearing separate petitions filed by two residents of Madurai. The petitioners had argued that the new rules went against the Constitution, “breached the cardinal principle of federalism” and were contrary to its parent legislation — Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.The Centre, in response, had argued that the aim of the notification was to regulate animal markets. However, the bench issued notices to both the Centre and state government to respond in four weeks.
On Tuesday, after the Centre clarified that it was considering feedback and would made necessary changes to the notification, the Supreme Court told the Madurai bench not to retain the two petitions.