Overview
- The Supreme Court on Monday, July 13, 2026 stayed the Madras High Court’s May 27 order that had directed a ban on cow and calf slaughter anywhere in Tamil Nadu and issued notice on the state’s appeal.
- The Madras High Court’s original Division Bench order arose from a PIL in Coimbatore and relied on Article 48 and a 1976 government order to require authorities to prevent cow slaughter on Bakrid and on any other day.
- The Tamil Nadu government challenged the judgment as exceeding the PIL’s scope and argued that the High Court’s blanket prohibition conflicts with the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958 and other statutes that allow slaughter of animals certified unfit for work or breeding.
- The Supreme Court bench said the operative paragraph of the High Court order prima facie required correction and kept the ban suspended while it considers the Special Leave Petition and responses from the parties.
- The dispute raises practical questions about enforcement of designated slaughterhouses, the limits of judicially issued statewide directives versus statutory schemes, and immediate administrative and political implications for the Vijay government during festival periods.