In a statement to Parliament on 14 December 2021, John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, confirmed the appointment of Court of Session judge Lady Poole as the chair of the Scottish inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government also announced the terms of reference for the public inquiry on the same date, with the inquiry investigating the period between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022. You can read the full ministerial statement here ...
Due to emergence of the Omicrom variant, the new year brought with it some now familiar guidance: the government asked workers to avoid the office and to work from home where possible. In anticipation of returning to the office in early 2022, the Health and Safety Executive (the HSE) and the Scottish Government have issued guidance emphasising the importance of good ventilation and the role that plays,alongside other measures, in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 ...
From 6 April 2022, the way right to work checks are conducted is changing. Virtual or “adjusted” right to work checks will no longer be acceptable Virtual checks were only ever intended as a temporary concession because of the pandemic. While they have been repeatedly extended throughout the pandemic, the Home Office is adamant that they will end once and for all, with 5 April 2022 being the final date on which they can be validly conducted ...
After the growth and successes of the tech industry in 2021, James Klein, head of the technology sector at Shoosmiths shares his thoughts on emerging trends and a few areas where we may see developments in 2022. Data Data continues to be a key strategic asset, whether it is in connection with data storage, transfer, protection, processing, security, or capacity issues. Predictive analysis of data is likely to be more pertinent than ever this year ...
Kyocera Senco Industrial Tools Inc. v. International Trade Commission, Appeal No. 2020-1046, -2050 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 21, 2022) The Federal Circuit’s only precedential patent decision this week comes on appeal from the International Trade Commission, where an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found noninfringement and the Commission reversed. The Federal Circuit addressed the issues of qualifications to provide technical expert testimony, claim construction, and references ...
COVID-19 guidance continues to change regularly throughout the UK and the Omicron variant has seen soaring levels of absence across all businesses. So what do employers need to know and how can this be managed? Current isolation and testing rules At this time and throughout the UK generally, non-exempt individuals are required to self-isolate if they are in close contact with someone who has tested positive ...
A recent High Court decision raised some interesting questions surrounding the property status of cryptocurrencies and whether they can be held on trust. We consider how certain comments in the judgment may have implications for the property status of NFTs. The recent English High Court decision in Wang v Darby [2021] EWHC 3054 (Comm) raised some interesting issues regarding whether cryptocurrencies can be held on trust ...
At the end of 2021, the Intellectual Property Rights Court published the new Practice Review on the issues regarding the application of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, on the legal protection of software and databases (in Russian only). The Review presents the well-established positions of the Court on the disputes practice regarding databases and software ...
On December 31, 2021, The Chilean Ministry of Public Works published one of the last calls for bids before closing 2021, corresponding to the modernization and improvement of the current Route 68. The 140.7 km project will connect the municipalities of Santiago, Valparaíso and Viña del Mar and has a budget of approximately US $ 1.2 billion - the highest amount ever in a call for bids under Sebastián Piñera's administration ...
In the beginning of the new year 2022, it is a good time to take look back to the previous year 2021 and to have a look at reforms and amendments coming up during 2022 within the field of employment law. In addition to legislative changes, collective bargaining negotiations have lately been a hot topic as many collective bargaining agreements are up for renewal and some generally applicable collective bargaining agreements will not be renewed ...
Key Points New IRS rules extend annual deadline for providing Forms 1095-C to employees to March 2 Penalty relief no longer applies for employers that make good faith efforts to comply with reporting requirements California employers with self-insured plans must file Forms 1095-C with the Franchise Tax Board by March 31 Under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), large employers (generally those with 50 or more full-time employees or full-time equivalents) must report annually t
Key Points U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized a rule renewing nationwide permits under the Clean Water Act for projects involving discharges of dredge or fill material to jurisdictional waters. The Army Corps also issued new nationwide permits, such as for water reclamation and reuse facilities and for activities involving water, stormwater, and wastewater utility lines. These new nationwide permits create opportunities to expedite permitting for certain infrastructure projects ...
The living sector will continue to provide opportunities and challenges for investors, developers and residents, alike. The government is set to turn the page on pandemic restrictions, with most set to stop in England on 26 January. Time will tell if this will be the year when we can get back to a more normal way of life, but one thing we can be sure of is that the living sector will continue to provide opportunities and challenges for investors, developers and residents, alike ...
A look at trends and influences which we expect to impact mid-market banking and finance in 2022. Last year’s article heavily featured COVID-19, its impact, and expected patterns of recovery. While the pandemic continues to have a huge impact on our lives, most stakeholders have learnt to live with this uncertainty and businesses have adapted accordingly ...
The importance of being truthful on immigration forms has been thrust into the international spotlight this week, thanks to tennis star Novak Djokovic who has been deported from Australia. Whilst the ins and out of the refusal are up for discussion, one thing is clear is that the information on his application about where he has been during the fourteen days prior to his arrival in Australia was not correct ...
‘The right to disconnect’ was a popular topic during 2021 and provides for an interesting discussion - should there be a legal right in the UK for employees to disconnect from their workplace? The phrase which may bring joy to an employee’s ears but potentially not so much to those of an employer is the ‘right to disconnect’ ...
By all accounts, in common with 2021, broad uncertainty will remain a key theme for the UK economy in 2022. Statistics from 2021 are an unhelpful indicator for 2022. But all signs currently point to a slowing of the UK economy in 2022 following an undeniable 2021 bounce-back as people matched unexpected savings with spending on goods, services and holidays ...
Extensive new powers to investigate and intervene in deals that could have national security concerns come into play this month, lenders and borrowers need to understand the implications now. The National Security and Investment Act (“the Act”) regime came into effect on 4 January 2022. It creates a new national security screening regime for corporate acquisitions in the UK. Certain aspects of the Act apply retrospectively from 12 November 2020 ...
