On the 1st of August 2023, Bill No. 63 entitled the Air Navigation Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) was published in the Supplement to the Government Gazette. The proposed Act has reached the stage of the Third Reading and shall repeal the Civil Aviation (Air Operators’ Certificates) Act (Chapter 218 of the Laws of Malta), the Air Navigation Order (Subsidiary Legislation 499 ...
In a circular dated the 18th December 2023, the MFSA introduced a framework for an additional fund structure within the jurisdiction of Malta, namely, the Notified Professional Investor Fund (“NPIF”). The NPIF framework is designed to reap the benefits of an enhanced and expedited onboarding process, while concurrently complementing extant fund frameworks in Malta ...
Updated on 8 January 2024.Food law is extensively harmonized throughout the EU, but national law still has a role to play. In this short article, we look at three developments in Belgian food law that have taken place in 2023: the amendments to the Food Safety Agency’s administrative fining regime, the introduction of nutrivigilance, and the announced revision of the food hygiene legislation.1 ...
In last year’s predictions, we surmised that the pensions industry at large had put “a busy and unpredictable 12 months” at the top of its wish list at the start of 2022. It seems like everyone enjoyed having that wish granted so much last year that they asked for more of the same in 2023 and well, we certainly got it! What started out as a steady year soon took a different turn ...
Both the Belgian legislator and government have played an active role in 2023 when it comes to pharma legislation, which has led to a number of changes in the legal framework. In this article, we look back and discuss five noteworthy developments in Belgian pharma law. 1 ...
Nicholas Foss Barbantonis is affiliated with the dispute resolution team in Oslo. He specialises in intellectual property and information technology law dispute resolution and has been involved in several high-profile intellectual property disputes. Nicholas is ranked as a Rising Star in Legal 500 and highlighted as a promising talent in Kapital’s annual lawyer survey. Nicholas is listed in the World Trademark Review guide for enforcement and litigation (WTR 1000) ...
Many charities occupy property, whether as offices, shops or for other charitable purposes from hospices to food banks ...
Introduction Block exemption regulations (BER) for liner shipping companies have been in place in one form or another since 1986, originally as «Conference» BER, and since 2008 as «Consortia» BER. With the discontinuation, the liner shipping segment joins other shipping segments as fully subject to the competition rules in the EU, including the prohibition against anti-competitive cooperation under Article 101 TFEU ...
The Home Office have released a Statement of Changes which includes changes to be made to the rules for visitors coming to the UK, particularly in relation to their permitted activities. On 7 December 2023, the Home Office released Statement of Changes HC 246 with various changes to the Immigration Rules to be implemented prior to the end of January 2024 ...
In an increasingly unpredictable climate, adverse weather can prevent employees from attending the workplace on time, or at all. Here, we discuss what employers can do to mitigate the effect of adverse weather on their business ...
Renewable energy projects affecting the environment, such as wind and solar projects, currently require multiple permits from different authorities, which may make the permitting processes rather burdensome and unpredictable. To tackle this, the government is looking to streamline and standardize the permitting process by developing a "one stop shop" in order to boost new investments in Finland and make the processes more predictable ...
The government has produced draft regulations which will make further changes to holiday laws in Great Britain. We look at what is planned and what it means for employers. The government has been reviewing which European Union laws to retain and has taken that opportunity to consult about changes to holiday pay, resulting in the publication of draft regulations. We look at what is planned and what it means for employers ...
It is highly documented that the transport sector is heavily male dominated. Indeed, reports suggest that while women account for 47% of the general UK workforce, within the transport sector women only account for 20% of the workforce and only 3% of HGV drivers in the UK. Many employers are aware of the work that needs to be done in this sector in terms of addressing and challenging behaviours, changing mindsets and creating inclusive cultures ...
The UK is home to some of the most innovative and cutting-edge startups in the world, especially in fields like AI, semiconductors and quantum computing. These startups have the potential to transform various industries and sectors, from healthcare to finance to defence ...
Last week, Shoosmiths hosted an event by The Fashion Network titled ‘AI in Fashion Retail: Mastering the Future of the Style business’. During this event we heard from fashion industry leaders on how the retail sector is seeking to revolutionise their businesses using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies ...
The timing of challenges to an expert witness’s evidence has been considered in the Supreme Court case of Tui Ltd v Griffiths [2023] UKSC 48, with judgment handed down on 29 November 2023. Although the case emanated from a holiday claim in the County Court, this Supreme Court decision is of significance to all cases where parties seek to rely on evidence from experts or witnesses of fact ...
Module 6 of the UK’s Covid-19 Public Inquiry opened on 12 December 2023, with public hearings set to begin in Spring 2025. This article explores what Module 6 will examine and explains how and why members of the Care Sector may want to become involved ...
This article explores the reasons why sickness absence and mental health issues may rise among employees during the festive period and what employers can do to support their employees during this time. Christmas is traditionally an exciting time of year, but the colder weather and shorter nights can cause lower mood for a lot of people. When feeling low, people can also be more susceptible to illness, picking up unwanted coughs and colds which leaves them feeling even lower ...
There was considerable anticipation regarding whether the negotiations would be successfully concluded during this meeting. Without an agreement, there was a risk of significant delays in the adoption of the framework. This was undesirable for EU institutions that have invested considerable prestige in leading the regulation of AI globally. Read more about the most contentious issues leading up to the last negotiation meeting in this article ...
Shoosmiths’ AI lead and partner Alex Kirkhope attended the Data Ethics Summit, focused on exploring the fundamental principles of ethical technology, the agenda evolved to delve into the practical applications of ethics, spanning from private sector strategies to policy and regulatory development, many of which are now being put into practice ...
Shoosmiths hosts a roundtable covering the partnerships model in the UK's living sector, as part of the UKAA’s Annual Build to Rent Conference 2023. As the UK’s residential market navigates economic challenges, including the impact of elevated interest rates and borrowing costs, many real estate businesses are now exploring partnerships ...
A summary of the key takeaways from a recent webinar on the spectre of personal criminal liability for charity trustees. During the recent Trustees’ Week the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said that one of the week’s aims is to inspire more people to come forward to serve as trustees, to prepare a pipeline of able and passionate people, willing to take on the mantle of trusteeship, ensuring the good work of charities is sustainable ...
A summary of the key takeaways from a recent webinar on The Covid-19 Public Inquiry - Spotlight on the Care Sector. What is a Public Inquiry? A public inquiry is a state sponsored investigation into areas of public concern. Inquiries are set up and sponsored by the government, but they operate independently of the government. All inquiries have powers to compel the attendance of witnesses or provision of evidence ...
Winter can be a hectic time of year, with stress levels heightened by frantic planning for the festive season and employers may be overwhelmed by annual leave requests. How can employers keep employees happy while balancing the needs of the workplace? Annual leave requests Most employees are likely to request time off during the winter months to spend time with family and friends, especially where this aligns with school holiday periods, religious festivals and national bank holidays ...
The new Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced a five-point plan aimed at reducing the recently announced record high net-migration figures. The planned changes will have a big impact on many employers’ ability to sponsor workers from overseas. The changes will be brought into force in the Spring, although an exact date has yet to be confirmed. The Government estimate that these changes will reduce net migration by 300,000 (based on estimations of new entrants to the UK last year) ...
