For as long as there have been rules of evidence and courtrooms, there have been products that can impair litigants or witnesses—and products whose use carries the potential to trigger certain stigmas in the eyes of the finders of fact. Cannabis, which has been around longer than nearly every judicial system in the world and the subject of political and popular debate in the United States for the past century, may be the paradigmatic product at the moment ...
On 26 October 2023 the Online Safety Act (‘the Act’) received Royal Assent, enacting rules designed to, in the UK government’s words, make the UK the safest place in the world to be online ...
On September 29, 2023, Decree No. 4, dated January 25, 2023 (the "Regulation"), issued by the Ministry of the Environment (the "Ministry"), was published, coming into force the Emission Compensation System for stationary sources subject to Green Tax[1] (the “System”). The System promotes the development of emission reduction projects (the "Projects") ...
Since April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) has prohibited landlords from renting commercial properties that do not meet certain environmental standards ...
The King's Speech 2023 unveiled an ambitious vision for the future of transportation - heralding a new era of self-driving vehicles in the UK. The speech introduced a comprehensive plan to integrate autonomous vehicles into daily lives, as part of the government's commitment to advancing transportation technology. The proposed Automated Vehicles Bill will provide the Department for Transport with the necessary authority to certify the safety of driverless vehicles ...
The U.S. Government Accountability Office's recently issued annual bid protest report is noteworthy because it shows that 31% of bid protests were sustained — more than double the rate for prior years— and that protesters received some form of relief from the procuring agency in more than half of the protests filed with the GAO in fiscal year 2023 ...
A recent data protection fine highlights the risks of getting a few key things wrong. Fines for large data security breaches always grab press attention, however a recent €600,000 fine from the French data protection regulator (the CNIL) brings into sharp focus the risks for businesses when they get a few key things wrong without any catastrophic failures amongst them ...
Canada?s finance minister unveiled a series of legislative proposals on August 4, 2023 aimed at making significant changes to the flow-through share system, particularly as regards lithium exploration. Although a number of these changes had already been announced in the 2023 federal budget, e.g ...
Following the route set out in the ongoing constitutional process and taking into consideration the draft prepared by the Expert Commission and the amendments presented during the respective discussion in the Joint Commission, the Constitutional Council approved yesterday, the Preliminary Draft of the New Constitution ...
Only five months after its first reading on 17 May 2023, the future is already in doubt for key aspects of the Renters (Reform) Bill. The changes proposed by the Bill include the abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, meaning that landlords would be required to rely on the more combative section 8 process ...
Earlier in the year, we reported on the government’s announcement of increases to visa and nationality fees. These increases to application fees came into force on 4 October 2023, other than the substantial increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which was expected to come ‘later in the autumn’ ...
Examples of ESG investments include investments in businesses such as wind farms and solar power initiatives, or in companies that meet the investor’s ESG value criteria (for example, because they have in place policies to address climate change or to ensure ethical supply chain sourcing) ...
One of the most common questions I receive from clients is around the termination of leases, with confusion reigning around the terminology and procedures used in Scotland. It is not surprising that when given a remit to consider the law of commercial leases, the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) first turned its attention to the law relating to the termination of leases at expiry. In October 2022, following consultations, the SLC published its Report on Aspects of Leases: Termination ...
The idea of achieving purpose alongside profit has been part of the business world for centuries, but the importance placed on it has reached new heights in recent years with an increased focus on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues, informed by a longer-term view that we cannot afford to pursue profit without consideration for people and our planet ...
We have previously commented on the impact environmental concerns are having on those working in the traditional energy sectors. In particular, the focus on renewable energy has left many oil and gas workers nervous about their job security and ability to find alternative work if they are made redundant. Thankfully, it appears those concerns might be unfounded ...
The Finnish government proposes significant changes to transfer taxation. Transfer tax is levied on the acquisition of shares and other securities and real property. The proposed changes may have significant effects to the taxation of M&A and real estate transactions. Some of the proposed changes will decrease the tax burden while some will result in increased tax liability. The most significant changes include: The general rate for securities (1 ...
Expectations are increasing and there is mounting pressure from investors and consumers for private and public sector organisations and charities to be seen to be doing something about ESG factors, including equality, diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion are increasingly recognised as crucial factors in building sustainable and successful supply chains in the private, public and charity sectors ...
Following from the recent geopolitical developments in Ukraine, there has been a heightened interest in sanctions, specifically, those sanctions being imposed against Russia ...
A patent landscape provides a bird?s-eye view of the patenting activity related to a specific technology. It can be an invaluable tool for your organization as the analysis of patent data reveals business, scientific and technological trends. Indeed, many industries increasingly rely on patent landscapes to provides a basis for understanding innovation activity in their field ...
On 30 August 2023, the Beneficial Ownership Transparency Bill, 2023 (the Bill) was published, proposing several important changes to the beneficial ownership regime in the Cayman Islands. The Bill is intended to enhance the jurisdiction’s current beneficial ownership regime to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force ...
Residency status in a foreign country is a matter of vital importance for those seeking to settle and build a life in a new place. In El Salvador, understanding the grounds for cancellation of residency is essential for foreign residents, as any non-compliance can have significant legal repercussions. The legal framework that regulates residency status in El Salvador is mainly established in theSpecial Law on Migration and Foreigners and its respective Regulations ...
