Michael Mansfield QC Passes Judgement on Pig ‘Prison’

Read Michael Mansfield QC’s letter in full here.

Prominent barrister Michael Mansfield QC – who has defended scores of accused in prominent and controversial court cases – has fired off an urgent letter to Derbyshire County Council after learning from PETA that Midland Pig Producers has submitted an application to build an enormous factory farm in Foston, Derbyshire. Mansfield, a vegetarian, objects on the grounds that the pigs on this proposed farm would spend their entire lives imprisoned indoors, denied everything that is natural and important to them.

“I have made my career seeking justice for those who have been denied their rights”, writes Mansfield. “To allow the Foston pig farm to go forward would mean a life sentence of hellish confinement for tens of thousands of animals – a glaring and ugly injustice.”

According to the plans for the massive factory farm, approximately 25,000 pigs would be imprisoned in the facility at a time, and 1,000 pigs would be transported to slaughter each week. Most of the animals would never see sunlight or breathe fresh air until they were loaded into lorries for transport to an abattoir. The building of this type of factory farm would signify another major step backwards for farmed-animal welfare in the UK. Don’t let this happen in our backyard, contact Derbyshire County Council and urge them to reject the plans!