While the Federal Government gives further consideration to implementation of the ACCCs recommendations relating to retail tariffs and retailer behaviour the Victorian Essential Services Commission has been progressing reforms proposed by the Independent Review into the Electricity and Gas Retail ...

The highest appellate court in the UK has affirmed and restated the penalty rule as it applies in the UK in a recent decision that directly addresses and counters the High Court of Australias approach to the rule in Andrews Partner Nick Rudge and Lawyer Patrick Easton report ...

Treasury released a paper seeking feedback on a framework for Comprehensive Income Products for Retirement. It will permit trustees to offer members on a 'soft default' basis 'mass-customised, composite retirement income products' and, to encourage trustees ...

The Federal Court has recently had another opportunity to consider the application of the promoter penalty provisions in the Taxation Administration Act The Federal Courts recent decision indicates that the promotion of schemes that are clear and deliberate tax exploitation schemes will result in ...

There has been a great deal of attention given to the meanings of financial product advice and personal advice in the Corporations Act and many of us are eagerly waiting to see what Justice Gleeson will say about the topic in the case ASIC has brought against the BT trustees. ...

With the release of an ASFA Best Practice Paper on insourcing investment management we look at some of the challenges and opportunities for in-house legal teams that come with the seemingly inexorable move in the superannuation industry towards insourcing investment management functions ...

The Federal Government has released a model for the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol that will have major implications for those who use genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge for biodiscovery Partner Sarah Matheson and Lawyer Julieane Bull provide an overview of changes ...

Following last weeks release of the New South Wales and South Australian budgets it is clear that most state and territory budgets handed down since the Federal Budget have shown an alignment with the Federal Governments national agreement on infrastructure investment and asset recycling Partner ...

Today ASIC released a report outlining the shortcomings in the disclosure of fees and costs for superannuation and managed investment products While everyone may not like what it says and for some it may be too little too late the more detailed discussion of what the law requires may be helpful ...

The Papua New Guinea Government has revised proposed changes to PNGs foreign investment laws after concerns were raised about the potential economic effect of the initial reform package The proposed amendments if enacted could still have far reaching consequences for PNGs foreign investment ...