The global biofuels industry needs to be better regulated to ensure it does not harm the environment, the UK's climate change minister has stated.Speaking at a recent conference organised by Britain's Renewable Eneregy Association, Phil Woolas MP cited several studies which have shown that biofuel production has led to deforestation and increased house prices in some areas of the world, most notably across Asia ...
Ofgem announced last week that it is delaying its decision on proposals relating to transmission losses. The gas and electricity market regulator's previous statement that it favours one of several proposals before it on this subject has caused considerable consternation among commentators in Scotland ...
The Federal Court of Canada recently released its decision in Ahousaht First Nation v. Canada (Fisheries and Oceans)(1). The case considered an application by 14 First Nations represented by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (“NTC”) for judicial review of a decision of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans regarding the implementation of a commercial groundfish pilot plan on the British Columbia coast (the “Pilot Plan”) ...
The Federal Circuit, in an opinion written by Judge Rader and joined by Judges Lourie and Prost, has determined that a termination of a contract for the government’s convenience does not terminate obligations to perform warranty and software upgrade services under the contract. The Court of Federal Claims, in a well-reasoned opinion by Judge Miller, had determined otherwise ...
The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce upholds a strong position as one of the most important centres of international arbitration. The steady growth in the number of cases involving foreign parties that are administered by the Arbitration Institute convincingly demonstrates its worldwide popularity and reputation ...
Several of the currently producing oil fields in the United States have been producing for approximately one hundred years while many other fields have long since ceased production having reached the end of their economic life. As the domestic oil and gas industry matures and many of the once productive fields become depleted, the industry faces what is arguably its most significant challenge ...
In this article, the authors address state-level law on water use and its possible effect on land use decisions. They then examine how federal water-related laws are increasingly impacting land use. Land use regulation, particularly zoning, has traditionally been considered a matter to be handled not by state or federal government but by local government— towns and counties ...
The European Commission's January report on the energy sector competition made uncomfortable reading for the European Union's Council of Energy Ministers, who were presented with it in February and considered its proposals at the EU summit in March.The clear message from the Commission is gas and electricity is too expensive ...
The U.S. Department of Justice’s revised corporate charging policy, which was named after deputy attorney general Paul McNulty, was unveiled in December 2006. In the wake of its predecessor document, the 2003 Thompson Memo, we have seen a steady increase in the resolution of corporate criminal investigations without indictments or trials ...
Advocate General Sharpston has recently expressed her opinion in the Commission v Republic of Finland case that ensuring a sufficient degree of transparency for the award of sub-threshold procurements should be determined by national law, rather than Community law. If these views were to be followed by the ECJ, it would provide renewed impetus to create national rules on low value awards and represent a meaningful evolution of the ECJ's past case law ...
In our July 2006 legal update, we reported on a ground-breaking agreement (Agreement) signed by the Hong Kong and Mainland China Governments, under which they agreed to recognise and enforce judgments made in each others courts. Legislative changes are now underway in Hong Kong in order to implement the Agreement ...
This paper was presented at The Canadian Institute’s 2nd Annual Oil & Gas Law Summit Overcoming the Regulatory Challenges and Uncertainties to Keep Your Project on Track on January 22 – 23, 2007 in Calgary, Alberta. Oil and gas exploration in Canada’s North has a long history that dates back to the oil well drilled in Norman Wells in 1920. The North is recognized as holding a significant portion of Canada’s potential for undeveloped oil and gas ...
A record number of companies applied for petroleum licences during the latest and 24th Licensing Round. As a result, it is envisaged that the much-awaited announcement of the successful applicants will kick-start the next phase of the development of the already mature UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) sector ...
In November 2005, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks was asked by the Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson to lead a Review of the Government's energy policy ...
Canada’s Clean Air ActWhat it is notThe new federal strategy respecting greenhouse gas reduction was finally unveiled on October 19, 2006 with the presentation of Bill C-30 on air quality(1) and the release of the brochure entitled Canada’s Clean Air Act(2). A few days later, on October 21st, the Government published its Notice of Intent which outlines the measures that it intends to develop and implement to reduce air emissions 3) ...
A spectacular smash-up always draws a crowd. In the outsourcing world, where the wreckage is nearly always kept under wraps, that’s even more true. When a problem deal does break into view, it’s always worth watching for lessons in how to manage – or how not to manage – these complex transactions ...
For the many players in the oil and gas industry awareness of the regime for decommissioning offshore installations is increasingly important. Decommissioning is fundamental to petroleum operations and needs to be considered early, due to the various complexities involved. Many offshore installations in the North Sea have been operational well beyond their expected 25 year lifespan and are now up for decommissioning, although the recent high oil price granted a temporary postponement ...
The cause of an action in defamation exists to provide some recourse and remedy to victims of falsehoods which can and do cause injury to reputation. In a classic formulation, recently adopted and approved by Geopel J ...
The issue of coalbed methane (CBM) ownership, frequently disputed between coal rights holders and holders of mines and minerals rights other than coal, has been the subject of numerous recent applications to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB). The AEUB recently announced that it will hold a hearing relating to legal entitlement of CBM on split-title freehold mineral lands in Alberta ...
This paper was first published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Volume XXIII, Number 2, 2006. Chris Baldwin, Canada mining reporter for the Mineral Law Newsletter, is a partner and Megan Kaneen is an articled student with Lawson Lundell LLP In Vancouver, British Columbia; Behn Conroy and Laurel Petryk are associates with Lang Michener in Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, respectively ...
On 14 July 2006, the Hong Kong and Mainland China Governments signed a ground-breaking agreement, rather lengthily entitled "An Arrangement on Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region pursuant to Choice of Court Agreements between Parties Concerned" (Arrangement), under which they agreed to recognise and enforce judgments made in each others courts ...
Although the United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this guide relates only to the current position in England and Wales because Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own individual legal systems. The rules and procedure of the Civil Courts in England and Wales are contained in the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) which were introduced in 1999 and which lay down the framework within which all civil litigation must be conducted ...
Keeping in Shape – Trademark Protection of Product ConfigurationsThe development of unique and distinctive product configurations allows the producer of the product to achieve more bang for its marketing dollar. The consumer not only cognitively associates the manufacturer’s word mark with the product, but also its configuration. In this context, the oft cited example is the Coca-Cola bottle shape ...
The English Court of Appeal has thrown out an attempt to appeal a decision in favour of Dyson about spare parts for Dyson vacuum cleaners. Dyson sued spare parts supplier Qualtex for infringement of Dyson's unregistered design rights (UDR) in 14 spare parts manufactured by Qualtex. The spare parts were deliberately designed to look like the originals, known as "pattern parts" in the trade ...
On February 28, 2006, Michigan enacted water management legislation giving the State greater control over large quantity water withdrawals. The laws create for the first time a waterextraction permit system and user fees for largescale withdrawals from inland and Great Lakes water sources. They also impose special requirements on water bottlers ...
