Agricultural
Returns (Jersey) Law 1947[1]
A LAW to facilitate the preparation of statistics
relating to agriculture in Jersey
Commencement [see endnotes]
1 Interpretation and application
(1) In this Law –
“agricultural land” includes any land used as grazing,
meadow or pasture land, or orchard, and any land used wholly or mainly for the
purpose of the trade or business of a market-gardener or nurseryman;
“Minister” means the Minister
for Sustainable Economic Development.[2]
(2) This Law shall not
apply in any case where the total area of the agricultural land occupied by a person
is less than one vergée.
2 Requirement of returns[3]
(1) The Minister may,
whenever he or she thinks fit so to do, require every occupier of agricultural
land, or the person having the management of agricultural land on behalf of the
occupier thereof, to furnish, in such form and manner and to such person and within
such time as may be specified in the requirement, a return in writing showing,
with respect to such date or dates or such period or periods as may be so
specified –
(a) the
area of land in cultivation, stating the several areas planted in the crops specified
in the return;
(b) the
areas of uncultivated land and of land for grazing;
(c) the
livestock on the land;
(d) the
agricultural equipment in the occupier’s or person’s possession for
use on the land; and
(e) the
numbers of persons employed by the occupier or person in regular and casual
employment respectively.
(2) Where the occupier is
also the owner of the land, that fact shall be stated in the return.
(3) The Minister may
require any person furnishing a return in pursuance of this Article to give
such information and explanations respecting the return as the Minister thinks
necessary.
3 Use of returns[4]
No individual return or part of a return made under this Law shall
be used, published or disclosed, without the authority of the person making it
or of the occupier on whose behalf it is made, except –
(a) for the purposes of the
preparation by the Minister of agricultural statistics and the publication thereof;
(b) for the purposes of a
prosecution under this Law; or
(c) for the purposes
authorized by Article 4(5) of the Agricultural Marketing
(Jersey) Law 1953.
4 Service of notices
Any notice under this Law may be served on the person to whom it is
addressed either personally or by post and, in the case of a notice to an
occupier, by addressing it to the person by the description of “occupier” of the premises
(naming them) to which it relates.
5 [5]
6 Penalties
(1) Any person required to
make a return under this Law who fails to make the return within the time
within which the person is required to make the return or, on being so
required, fails to give any information or explanation respecting the return
which it is in the person’s power to give, or who makes a return or gives
any information or explanation which is to his or her knowledge untrue in any
material particular, shall be liable –
(a) for
a first offence, to a fine of level 1 on the
standard scale;
(b) for
a second or subsequent offence, to imprisonment for a
term of one month and to a fine of level 2 on the standard scale.[6]
(2) Any person who uses,
publishes or discloses contrary to the provisions of this Law any individual
return or part of a return shall be liable to a fine of level 3 on the
standard scale and, if the Court is of the opinion that the offence was
committed wilfully, to imprisonment for a term of 3 months.[7]
7 Citation
This Law may be cited as the Agricultural Returns (Jersey)
Law 1947.