3441-3450 of 3465 results
Isolated genetic material confirmed as patentable
In a unanimous decision the Full Federal Court has confirmed that genetic materials in their isolated form remain patentable in Australia The decision related to an appeal from an earlier Federal Court decision in which it was found isolated nucleic acids to be a manner of manufacture as required by ...
Changes to the rules governing foreign investment in Australian agriculture
The Australian Government has announced that from 1 March 2015 acquisitions of agricultural land worth more than A15 million and any additional acquisitions over and above that amount will require government approval It will also establish a foreign ownership register of agricultural land ...
The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement
After almost 10 years of negotiations between the nations on 17 November 2014 Prime Minister Abbott and President Xi announced the conclusion of negotiations on the China Australia Free Trade Agreement ChAFTA Once implemented the ChAFTA is expected to significantly reduce import barriers for ...
When is a trust a commercial necessity?
The High Court has held that the proceeds of a forestry investment scheme were not held on trust for the investors by the operators of the scheme. ...
Productivity Commission - Access to Justice Arrangements report and recommendations
The Access to Justice Arrangements report proposes broad-ranging reforms to our civil justice system with the aim of improving access to justice Partner Belinda Thompson and Lawyer Annie Santamaria highlight some recommendations which also have the potential to impact more broadly on Australias ...
Car rental agreement crashes out under the unfair contract terms regime
In proceedings brought by the ACCC the Federal Court declared a number of terms in Europcar Australias 2013 standard rental agreement to be unfair and therefore void ...
New legislation introduces criminal offences for false accounting
The Federal Government has proposed new legislation that introduces two new criminal offences for false accounting into the Commonwealth Criminal Code The proposed false accounting offences are designed to help Australia comply with the OECDs Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public ...
Strangers no more - Taking action against an insolvent defendant's insurer
The High Court of Australia has decided that a third party claimant can join an insolvent or potentially insolvent defendants insurer to proceedings to seek a declaration that the insurer is liable to indemnify the defendant Partner Andrew Maher and Lawyer Shelley Drenth discuss the decision and its ...
Polluter pays principle in action
In a recent decision of the Victorian Supreme Court a Melbourne municipal council was held liable to compensate a landowner for the costs that were incurred by the landowner in the course of complying with a clean-up notice issued under the Environment Protection Act 1970 Vic despite the pollution ...
Distressed debt M&A - share transfers without a scheme
The Supreme Court of New South Wales has given further guidance on the scope of its power to grant leave to a deed administrator to compulsorily transfer the shares of a company The decision in the matter of Nexus Energy Ltd subject to deed of company arrangement 2014 NSWSC 1910 confirms that this ...