Stody Estate Limited v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Cross Compliance Breaches – Who is Liable?
A recent English Queen’s Bench Division case (Stody Estate Limited –v- Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) provides some useful clarification on the issue of who is liable when cross compliance breaches occur.
Stody concerned an estate in Norfolk. The estate had been farmed by the MacNicol family for around 75 years. The case report notes that there were around 16 full time employees on the estate. In the usual way, Stody Estate Limited claimed agricultural support payments. One of the estate gamekeepers was arrested on suspicion of poisoning raptors. He was subsequently convicted under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1981. The gamekeeper’s role on the estate was multi-faceted, covering estate security, animal and fowl husbandry, vermin control, and so on. The gamekeeper had been employed on the estate for over 20 years.
Stody concerned an estate in Norfolk. The estate had been farmed by the MacNicol family for around 75 years. The case report notes that there were around 16 full time employees on the estate. In the usual way, Stody Estate Limited claimed agricultural support payments. One of the estate gamekeepers was arrested on suspicion of poisoning raptors. He was subsequently convicted under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1981. The gamekeeper’s role on the estate was multi-faceted, covering estate security, animal and fowl husbandry, vermin control, and so on. The gamekeeper had been employed on the estate for over 20 years.
