Shoosmiths has submitted a comprehensive response for the proposed Automated Vehicles Bill (AV Bill) to the House of Commons. It outlines crucial insights from the firm into the expanding connected and automated mobility sector, to support with new legislation ...
There are three main challenges to increasing competition in the availability of enroute charging stations, especially at motorway service area (MSA) sites, and the common theme is cost. The main challenges are: High costs for connecting to the electricity network, which acts as a key barrier to charge point operators (CPOs) investing at MSA sites. Limited competition at MSA sites, which is linked to the high costs for connecting to the electricity network ...
The Law Commission recently announced that it has commenced a three-year review of existing legal frameworks to identify the challenges and opportunities linked to the introduction of highly automated systems into the aviation sector. Such systems could include autonomous drones that can deliver goods to remote areas and pilot-less flying taxis that can transport people across urban environments ...
Bermudian lawyer Yan-Xia Rogers returns home to join Carey Olsen Yan-Xia will specialise in corporate and commercial law, advising clients on a range of cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters. Having moved to London in 2020, Yan-Xia worked for a year as a paralegal at Broadgate Legal before training as a solicitor at Kennedys Law LLP in London, with a focus on regulatory, corporate, product liability law and insurance litigation ...
The Department for Transport today announced that design work on the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub can commence with an injection of £123 million. The Midlands Rail Hub project is poised to transform rail connectivity in the heart of England, promising significant benefits for commuters and travellers alike. This is a comprehensive upgrade project that aims to enhance rail services across the Midlands region ...
The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (the “Regulations”) implement certain basic informational requirements that bus operators of local services need to implement in their vehicles in order to improve the accessibility of information for passengers on local bus services ...
The Government has introduced the Rail Reform Bill, a major legislation that will overhaul the UK's rail network and affect the interests of businesses across various sectors. The Bill, which was presented to Parliament on 20th February 2024, will enable the creation of a new public body, Great British Railways, that will take charge of the planning, contracting and operation of rail services across the country ...
The Supreme Court has considered the Westwalk case and ruled that foreign companies can be legally recognized as bankrupt if there is a "close connection" with Russia. Bankruptcy of foreigners was first commenced in 2016, but for a long was applied only to individuals1. The Arbitrazh Court of the Chelyabinsk Region opened Pandora's box in 2022 with respect to a company from the island of Nevis, which was only formally registered there ...
In December, the Government published MSL Regulations, together with guidance, specifying the minimum number of workers needed to operate public services in times of strike action; for more detail, please see our recent article. With the dispute between the ASLEF train drivers’ union and UK train operators still ongoing, industrial action has now been announced to take place between 30 January and 5 February, with significant disruption expected ...
Following from the recent geopolitical developments in Ukraine, there has been a heightened interest in international sanctions ...
This newsletter features a look into notable recent case law and other developments in Finnish competition law and other regulatory issues. Finnish Market Court gives its first detailed ruling on joint bidding In November 2023 the Finnish Market Court gave its judgment concerning a case on joint bidding in the field of public transport. This was the first time a Finnish court has in detail examined the lawfulness of joint bidding ...
On 11 January 2024 the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published policy statement PS24/1 (without consultation). The policy statement sets out temporary changes to the complaints handling rules for motor finance complaints, amid a rise in complaints against motor finance firms relating to commission ...
Jonathan Smart, head of the mobility sector at Shoosmiths, comments on upcoming trends and developments to expect in 2024 for the sector. The automotive industry is in the midst of a transformative era, marked by technological breakthroughs and shifting consumer preferences. Staying ahead of the curve is crucial for industry insiders. Let's delve into five pivotal trends that are reshaping the landscape of the automotive sector ...
Another great year for the Ocean team at SVW has ended. The Shipping industry had a great year, as we have witnessed it through our clients’ engagements. More steps have been taken toward environmentally smarter investments by many clients, not only within the fuel engine options in new-building orders, but also piloting strategic joint ventures and collaborations in the fuel terminals infrastructure (hydrogen/ammonia), as well as power plants ...
****Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,**** We would like to update you on recent precedent-setting judgements by Russian courts in matters involving foreign businesses that decided to leave Russia. On 17 October 2023, the Arbitrazh court of Moscow city sustained the claim by Russian bank PJSC Sovkombank against Citibank N.A. (a US company) and its Russian subsidiary JSC KB Citibank concerning the joint recovery of US$24m in losses1. On 21 December 2023, an appeals court upheld the judgement ...
The U.S. Department of State has released details on a proposed pilot program testing the agency’s ability to resume domestic visa renewals for certain nonimmigrant visa categories and to study the effect the program has on reducing visa wait times worldwide. The program will begin on January 29, 2024 and end on April 1, 2024 ...
On the 1st of August 2023, Bill No. 63 entitled the Air Navigation Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) was published in the Supplement to the Government Gazette. The proposed Act has reached the stage of the Third Reading and shall repeal the Civil Aviation (Air Operators’ Certificates) Act (Chapter 218 of the Laws of Malta), the Air Navigation Order (Subsidiary Legislation 499 ...
Introduction Block exemption regulations (BER) for liner shipping companies have been in place in one form or another since 1986, originally as «Conference» BER, and since 2008 as «Consortia» BER. With the discontinuation, the liner shipping segment joins other shipping segments as fully subject to the competition rules in the EU, including the prohibition against anti-competitive cooperation under Article 101 TFEU ...
Introduction The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (“MARPOL” or the “Convention”) was promoted by the International Maritime Organisation (“IMO”). It was adopted on the 2nd of November 1973 to tackle the menace of marine pollution by oil, chemicals, and other hazardous materials from ships through operational or accidental causes ...
IF YOU WANT TO TRADE IN AFRICA If you are interested in trading in Africa, this is a wake-up call! Enforcement of Competition law and policy has revved up several gears on the Continent, as delineated by the recent commencement of investigations by the Common Markets for Eastern and Southern Africa (“COMESA”) Commission into a suspected violation of the COMESA Competition Regulations by Pay TV Companies and the conclusion of investigations into “misleading and unconscionable
It is highly documented that the transport sector is heavily male dominated. Indeed, reports suggest that while women account for 47% of the general UK workforce, within the transport sector women only account for 20% of the workforce and only 3% of HGV drivers in the UK. Many employers are aware of the work that needs to be done in this sector in terms of addressing and challenging behaviours, changing mindsets and creating inclusive cultures ...
The EU ETS is a good step in the right direction towards reducing the EU’s total GHG emissions by 55% by 2030. The EU legislators have worked hard on this. But the respective IMO and the EU portals are still not aligned. And the EU ETS reporting starts in a few weeks ...
In recent years, the intersection of economic openness and national security has prompted international policy development in various countries, including Norway. Concerns about vulnerabilities arising from foreign investments, particularly in security-sensitive sectors, have led to the revision of legislation and the initiation of supply chain assessments by trading partners ...
As expected, the new Maritime Law significantly improves the maritime landscape in the UAE, and will no doubt seal the UAE as a shipping-hub in the region. On the precautionary arrest of a vessel front, the new law requires the applicant seeking an arrest of the vessel to provide security to cover the expenses of the crew, and to maintain the vessel ...
