The Federal Government has asked industry and the public for their views on changing Australia’s anti-foreign bribery laws to remove the “facilitation payments” defence. Australian businesses and individuals who are engaged in international trade or…
By way of Australian Customs and Border Protection Notice No. 2012/20 (“Notice”) dated 10 April 2012 but only appearing on the website of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (“Customs”) on 13 April 2012…
Customs Proposes Amendments to the "Production Assist Costs"Provisions of the Customs Act 1901 | Hunt & Hunt
On 22 March, Nicola Roxon released a discussion paper on reform to contracts law in Australia. Even though our contracts law system “performs well by national standards” there is “no reason for complacency” and the Australian Government sees an…
Do you Find Contracts Complicated and Confusing? The Attorney General Wants to Hear From You! | Hunt & Hunt
Company directors should be aware that there is only less than a week left to make a submission to Treasury in regards to the Federal Government’s first tranche of proposed amendments to directors’ liability legislation….
Director Derivative Liability – Finally a Policy Shift | Hunt & Hunt
Last August, we flagged the planned changes to the business names registration system and it has since passed through the Federal Parliament and become law The expected launch date of the new National Business Names Register,…
Protect Your Good Name – the National Business Names Registration System is Coming in May | Hunt & Hunt
Fairfax media recently ran a series of stories which alleged that there was evidence of a level of corruption in the Australian Customs and Border Protection Services (“Customs”). The articles pointed to a number of…
ASX proposals and consultation To qualify for a listing on ASX (including a backdoor listing), ASX Listing Rules require the entity to have a minimum number of shareholders. This shareholder spread requirement is often a…
Easier to List on ASX – Proposed Lowering of Shareholder Spread Requirement | Hunt & Hunt
A topic of much-heated debate out in the online community and through the realms of cyberspace is whether there is a social media law? Although there is no Social Media Act or Social Networking Act, it is…
Of four Australian trademark disputes that generated headlines last year, one was from the world of sport, one from retail (hardware), one from fashion and one from swimwear. All obtained free publicity for their new…
Courting Publicity? Trademark Disputes in the News | Hunt & Hunt
In a recent commentary, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, pointed to a “significant decline” in initiations of new anti-dumping investigations from 213 in 2008 down to 153 in 2011. However, the…
Following is a short update on the status of relevant legislation. In an earlier update, we provided a summary of the extensive reforms contained in the Road Safety Remuneration Bill 2012 (“RSB”). Following detailed Parliamentary…
Road Safety Remuneration, Dumping, IP, Logging Review and Chain of Responsibility? | Hunt & Hunt
On 3 May 2012, the High Court handed down two important decisions in the matters of Peter James Shafron v ASIC [2012] HCA 18 and ASIC v Meredith Hellicar & Ors [2012] HCA 17. Both decisions…
The sting for General Counsel in the James Hardie decisions – Shafron v ASIC and ASIC v Hellicar | Hunt & Hunt
There’s now less than a week to go before ASIC launches the new national business names system, supported by ASIC’s online service portal, ASIC Connect, and its new search features. Here are our ten top tips for business owners: 1. Mind…
National Business Names Register Briefing – 10 Top Tips for Business Owners | Hunt & Hunt
In a landmark ruling on 20 April 2012, the High Court unanimously dismissed an appeal by 34 Australian and United States film and television studios against internet service provider (“ISP”) iiNet. The High Court held…
Introduction As foreshadowed in my e-alert of yesterday, the Australian Trade Minister and his Malaysian counterpart signed the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (“MAFTA”) yesterday in Malaysia. Consequently, the Australian Federal Government has released documentation regarding…
The nature of communication and the interaction between people is drastically evolving. We are moving towards a world where everything is connected through the internet, specifically through social media. We have a strong desire to…
World Wide Web of Laws Entangling Social Media | Hunt & Hunt
Australia and New Zealand already have a free trade agreement with the ASEAN group of nations (“ASEAN FTA”) which includes Malaysia. Accordingly, the separate FTA with Malaysia (“MAFTA”) will constitute an enhancement to the existing…
Australian FTA with Malaysia to be Signed Today | Hunt & Hunt
A ruling which could block developments on land where traditional ownership of significant sites can be asserted. On 11 May 2012 the High Court refused an application for special leave to appeal a decision of…
High Court Refuses Special Leave Application to Straits Exploration | Hunt & Hunt
Many of you would be aware of the developments with the investigation regarding the proposed imposition of dumping and countervailing duties on Aluminium Road Wheels (“ARW”) exported from the PRC. Most recently this included the issue by Customs…
Warning! Customs requires securities for duties on ARW from the PRC | Hunt & Hunt
On 23 May, privacy law reform took a step closer with the introduction of the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012 into Parliament. The Bill stems from the 2008 Australian Law Reform Commission report, “For Your Information:…
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