UK Offence Report

2 Any person who intentionally obstructs an authorised person (or a person assisting that authorised person…

regulation 19(2) of The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2010

The provision has been revoked and no saving provision preserving liability for earlier conduct was found.

What the provision says

2 Any person who intentionally obstructs an authorised person (or

a person assisting that authorised person in accordance with regulation 14) in the exercise of the powers conferred by regulation

13 is guilty of an offence.

Text as made, from legislation.gov.uk. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.

Who it binds, and what has to be proved

Binds
a person
Conduct
obstructing an official exercising a power
Fault element
Requires proof of a state of mind
Burden of proof
No statutory defence — prosecution proves everything

The prosecution must prove both that the conduct happened and that it was done with the state of mind the provision names (intentionally).

The provision states no defence, so the prosecution bears the burden on every element of the offence.

Classifier’s reasoning: mens rea word in the offence-creating words: intentionally.

What would breach regulation 19(2)?

These are illustrations, not law. They are generated from the provision’s own words to show the shape of the offence. Whether any particular conduct is caught depends on the full text, on any amendment since, and on the facts.

  1. On these words an offence is committed where a person intentionally obstructs an authorised person (or a person assisting that authorised person in accordance with regulation 14) in the exercise of the powers conferred by regulation 13.
  2. Refusing to let an inspector onto premises they are entitled to enter under the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2010.
  3. Sending an official away, or telling staff to say nothing, where the power being exercised does not depend on anyone's consent.
  4. Physically blocking an examination, or removing something an officer has said they intend to inspect.

Penalty

Mode of trial
Not determined
Maximum fine
Not determined
Maximum prison (summary)
Not determined

no penalty is stated in this instrument; it may be in the enabling Act, or in a general penalties provision this pass did not connect to the offence.

No penalty was determined from this instrument. It may be in the enabling Act, or in a general penalties provision this pass did not connect to the offence. Absence of a figure here is not evidence that the offence carries no penalty.

Sentencing

Offences of this kind are usually sentenced under the guidelines below. This is a mapping by subject, not a finding about this provision, and the links go to a search of the Sentencing Council’s own site.

Prosecution figures

No published per-offence figure was found for this provision, and it could not be matched to a Ministry of Justice offence code. Offences created by statutory instrument very largely do not have one. Absence of a figure is not evidence that the offence is unused.

Status and lifecycle

Current status
Revoked
Revoked by
The Rural Payments (Appeals) (Scotland) Regulations 2015
Revoked on
12 June 2015
Made
1 July 2010
In force from
2 July 2010
Extent
S

How this was established: the instrument was revoked by a later instrument found in this corpus.

What the instrument is for

(This note is not part of the Regulations) — the explanatory note published with the instrument, © Crown copyright.

These Regulations, which replace the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Regulations”), make provision for the purposes of the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) (O.J. No. L 277, 21.10.2005, p.1), Commission Regulation (EC) Nos.1974/2006 (O.J. No. L 368, 23.12.2006, p.15) and Commission Regulation (EC) 1975/2006 (O.J.NoL368, 23.12.2006, p.74) both laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation 1698/2005. These Regulations provide for less favoured area support (“LFAS”) payments for the period 2010-2013. These Regulations apply to holdings in respect of which the Scottish Ministers are the competent authority under the Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Integrated Administration and Control System) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3263) (regulation1(3)). Eligibility for payment of LFAS is dependent upon the applicant giving an undertaking and meeting the criteria set out in regulation 3(1). It can only be paid to an applicant who actively farms eligible land (“actively farms” is defined in regulation 2(1) and “eligible land” is defined in regulation 5). No payment will be made where the amount of land is less than 3 hectares (regulation 4). There is provision at regulation 6 to determine to whom payment should be made where a holding is transferred during a Scheme Year. LFAS is paid for eligible hectares on farms in Scottish less favoured areas at specified rates (regulations 7 and 11). The rate is fixed according to the grazing category (regulation 8 and Schedule 3) and the fragility category of the parish in which the main farm of the applicant lies (regulation11(3) and Schedule 6). The area of land on which LFAS is paid is normally the area of eligible land calculated in accordance with the formula set out in regulation8(1) (the “unadjusted payable area”). The manner in which the area of unadjusted payable area is calculated will depend on the grazing category of that land (regulation 8(2)). The grazing category is allocated according to the historical stocking density of the applicant’s land known as the “base year stocking density” (regulation8(3) and (4)). Where the applicant has a stocking density which is above the maximum stocking density or below the minimum stocking density, the area of eligible land used to calculate the “unadjusted payable area” in regulation 8(1) is modified in accordance with regulation 9(2) and (3). The maximum and minimum stocking densities are defined in regulation 2(1). Stocking density for the purposes of regulation 9 will be based on the applicant’s 2009 livestock figures (regulation 9(4) and (5)). Regulation 9(7) makes provision to allow the Scottish Ministers to determine the stocking density where an applicant has not been able to achieve the minimum stocking because of slaughter in consequence of an epizootic disease. Where more than 10% of the livestock maintained by the applicant (based on 2009 figures) was made up of cattle, the area of land on which LFAS will be paid will be increased in accordance with the adjustment set out in regulation 10 and Schedule 8. Regulation 12 fixes a minimum payment of £385 for Scheme 2010-2013 payments (prior to the deduction of any penalties under Commission Regulation 1975/2006). Regulation13 contains powers of enforcement. Regulation 15 provides for withholding or recovery of LFAS where there is a breach of the rules of the LFAS Scheme. Regulation16 makes provision as to the publication of guidance. Regulations 19 to 22 deal with offences and penalties. Regulations 23 and 24 deal with an applicant’s right of appeal against decisions taken by the Scottish Ministers as regards eligibility of the holding. Regulation 25 amends the Rural Payments (Appeals) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 to make a correction to paragraph 13 of the Schedule to those Regulations and inserts a new paragraph 13A to provide for an applicant’s right of appeal against decisions taken by the Scottish Ministers under these Regulations. Regulation 26(1) revokes the 2007 Regulations and amending instruments with the exception of regulation 26(2) of the 2007 Regulations. Regulation 26(2) of these Regulations makes a savings provision to ensure that Scheme 2007, Scheme 2008 and Scheme 2009 payments within the meaning of the 2007 Regulations as amended continue to have effect as if those Regulations had not been revoked.

Read the full note and every offence in this instrument

Other offences in the same instrument

How this was identified as an offence

Everything above rests on the judgement that this provision creates a criminal offence, rather than mentioning one. That judgement is made by rule, from the words of the provision, and this is the rule that made it — with a confidence of 0.92.

Basis
the provision says a person is “guilty of an offence”
Confidence
0.92 of 1.00

A provision that states a penalty for an offence created elsewhere can read very like one that creates an offence, and the rules can mistake the one for the other. If the text quoted above sets a penalty for something made an offence by another provision, treat the classification on this page with that in mind, and read the instrument.

Check the source