21-30 of 104 results
Australia's Modern Slavery Act – one year on
Australia's modern slavery reporting regime was introduced one year ago, and 2020 will see the first set of modern slavery statements published by reporting entities. ...
Take Two: anti-bribery reforms revived and long-awaited draft regulatory guidance released
The Australian Government has tabled the Crimes Amendment (Combatting Corporate Crime) Bill 2019 (the 2019 Bill) in the Senate, and the Attorney-General's Department has released Draft Guidance on the steps a body corporate can take to prevent an associate from bribing foreign public officials for public consultation (the Draft Guidance). Like the 2017 version of the Bill that lapsed earlier this year (the 2017 Bill), if passed, the 2019 Bill will strengthen Australia's foreign bribery laws, including by introducing a new corporate offence of failure to prevent bribery by an associate, and will introduce a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) scheme for resolving serious corporate criminal matters. Partner Rachel Nicolson, Senior Associate Andrew Wilcock and Associate Lewis Winter report on the key differences between the 2017 and 2019 Bills, and the content of the Draft Guidance. ...
The WTO decision against Australia – what the law on paper might mean in practice
At a time when global powers continue to test international trade rules, a World Trade Organization decision involving Australian tariffs on Indonesian A4 copy paper highlights some of the key legal issues that caused tension between international trading partners in 2019. ...
Investor-state dispute settlement and the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement
The Australian and Chinese governments have concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement that will reduce tariff barriers on the majority of Australian exports to China The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed that the treaty will include an investor-state dispute ...
Recent anti-corruption developments in Papua New Guinea
The Papua New Guinean Government has continued to take significant steps in progressing its anti-corruption agenda in the first quarter of 2014 Partner Allan Mana Senior Associates Sarah Kuman and Michael Gomm and Lawyer Anthony Graham report on recent developments in Papua New Guinea and their ...
Changes to tax rules for offshore investment
A Bill is currently before Federal Parliament that will more closely but not completely align the foreign non-portfolio dividend NANE treatment with debtequity concepts Partner Martin Fry and Senior Associate Jennifer Richards report on the changes ...
Supply chains and modern slavery: reporting on the rise
The release of the Attorney-Generals consultation paper on modern slavery in supply chains and the recent interim inquiry report on establishing an Australian Modern Slavery Act reflect how international standards around corporate respect for human rights are becoming enshrined in law Australian ...
Draft whistleblower legislation puts onus on big business
Big business should be aware of mandatory publishing requirements for whistleblower policies and a reverse onus of proof for compensation which is among a raft of whistleblower reforms contained in draft legislation released following a Senate inquiry report Partner Rachel Nicolson and Associate ...
Australian Modern Slavery Act: Final Report recommends mandatory supply chain reporting with penalties for non-compliance
After a year-long inquiry a parliamentary committee has recommended that Australia establish a Modern Slavery Act including mandatory reporting for large businesses on modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains The introduction of a Modern Slavery Act is set to be a game-changer with ...
Foreign stamp duty surcharge of 7 per cent introduced in South Australia
South Australia has introduced a stamp duty surcharge of 7 per cent for direct and indirect acquisitions of residential land by foreign purchasers, with effect from 1 January 2018. ...