Following on from part one of our two-part virtual mini-series “Back in the office: The evolving debate on vaccine mandates, and other Covid-safe measures”, in part two, Stephen Ratcliffe and Richard Cook dissect two particularly thorny issues that employers are currently dealing with in relation to the return to the office: reluctant returners and tensions surrounding vaccinations and the wearing of masks.
Financial crime remains at the top of the regulatory agenda across the globe. As responses to the pandemic stabilise, and following some high-profile global incidents, regulators face renewed pressure to manage financial crime more effectively through robust supervision and enforcement. In the October 2021 edition of the City Library’s Compliance Officer Bulletin, our business crime, regulatory and cybersecurity lawyers explore the latest developments in anti-money laundering and financial crime in a series of articles
Following the recent publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy, the UK Government has now published its Net Zero Strategy. As expected, low carbon hydrogen development is central to this strategy. At the core of the strategy is an ambitious goal of fully decarbonizing UK power systems by 2035.
As part of its post-Brexit trade policy, the UK has established its own independent trade remedies regime. Through its newly-formed Trade Remedies Authority, the UK can now investigate claims of unfair import practices from UK businesses and determine whether the UK Government should introduce trade remedy measures – including anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties and safeguard measures – onto imports into the UK.
A number of reports have cited the disproportionately negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment and earnings of women. There is a risk that the effects of the pandemic could further entrench preexisting inequalities, and that the economic impact of the pandemic on businesses could push pay equality down the agenda. Instead, we see the return to “normality” as the perfect opportunity to take stock and identify where inequality can be tackled.
On 6 September 2021, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (“OFSI“) published its 2021 frozen asset reporting notice. The notice is a reminder that all persons that hold or control funds or economic resources belonging to, owned, held, or controlled by a designated person must provide a report to OFSI with the details of these assets by 15 October 2021. This is part of HM Treasury’s annual review of frozen assets to update its records and to capture any changes during the reporting period.
The Trade Specialised Committee on Customs Cooperation and Rules of Origin (the “Committee“) is scheduled to meet for the first time on Thursday 7 October. The joint EU/UK Committee was established by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (“TCA“) with the role of monitoring and reviewing the consistency in implementation of the TCA Rules of Origin across the EU and the UK as well as related enforcement, and to provide a joint forum for discussing related technical issues.
On 20 July 2021, the UK Government announced that the National Security and Investment Act will enter into full force on 4 January 2022. The NSI Act creates a new, self-standing UK investment screening regime on national security grounds, comparable to CFIUS in the US.
Welcome to this issue of the Global DR Legal Update, our quarterly newsletter which aims to bring together the most important global developments in litigation and arbitration. If you have any questions, or if we can assist further, please get in touch with Ben Roe or Steve Adams.
Taxpayers have the right to appeal HMRC’s decisions to the Tax Tribunal in most circumstances. In reality, many find the appeal process too arduous, time consuming and risky; resulting in taxpayers conceding or settling matters with otherwise good prospects of success. We expect that the recommendations of the Tax Law Review Committee, if implemented, will improve taxpayers’ access to justice and level the playing field between taxpayers and HMRC.