The Administrative Court on Friday rejected an application by a professional livestock farmer seeking to suspend the compulsory slaughter of animals at his farm in Dromolaxia, following the detection of foot-and-mouth disease.
According to an announcement by the Attorney-General’s Office, the court ruled that the protection of the public interest and public health outweighed the financial and personal consequences for the applicant, effectively allowing the Veterinary Services to proceed with the relevant protocols.
The farmer had filed an appeal and a unilateral interim application on June 2, 2026, seeking to freeze the decision taken by the Veterinary Services.
The Attorney-General’s Office said the case was handled with urgency because of the critical situation and the clear risk of the disease spreading. Following direct intervention by the Attorney-General, who cited the urgency of the matter for public health, the Republic’s objection and the hearing of the application took place on June 4, with the final decision issued within hours.
In its reasoning, the court found that the legal requirements for issuing an interim suspension order had not been met. It ruled that no manifest illegality had been established in the actions of the administration, while the applicant had also failed to prove irreparable harm that could not be compensated financially at a later stage.
The court’s assessment weighed decisively in favour of the Veterinary Services’ position, with the aim of preventing a wider livestock and public health crisis.
Despite the strict legal reasoning, the judge acknowledged the heavy emotional toll on the farmer. The court said the case could only cause sadness over the expected loss of the animals and sympathy for the applicant, noting that no outsider could fully understand what it means for a person to see his livelihood destroyed.
Nevertheless, the court found that the evidence required such a sacrifice for the common good.
The case for the Republic was handled by Republic Prosecutor Yianna Hadjihanna, Senior Counsel of the Republic Eirini Neophytou and Counsel of the Republic Alexandros Eleftheriou.
Following the ruling, the competent authorities are expected to proceed immediately with the necessary actions at the Dromolaxia farm.
