Announcement, Legislation Updates, Legal News, Case Updates, Articles, Newsletter
Feb 20 2020 |
Legal NewsThe use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for data sentencing has begun in Sabah courts. The Malaysian judiciary use the technology as a form of aid in meting out punishment. The initiative is currently only deployed for two offences in Sabah and Sarawak courts – Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug possession and Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape. (Source: The Star / 20 February 2020)
Feb 19 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property had blocked efforts by the German spirit brand to expand its trademark to cosmetics and entertainment services on the ground that the logo for Jagermeister - a stag and a cross - could offend the country's Christians. However, the Swiss Federal judges ruled otherwise. (Source: BBC / 19 February 2020)
Feb 19 2020 |
Legal NewsA Singaporean man, who was allowed to legally adopt his biological son in a widely publicised landmark court case in 2018, has failed in application at the High Court to have his same-sex partner named guardian of his son, as well as a girl he fathered in the United States via a surrogacy arrangement. The High Court also rejected the man's bid to have his partner awarded joint custody, care and control of the children. (Source: Straits Times / 19 February 2020)
Feb 17 2020 |
Legal NewsThe electric carmaker, Tesla has been ordered to temporarily halt preparations for a car factory in Germany after environmentalists won a court injunction. The preparation includes clearing forest land near the capital, Berlin, ahead of building its first European car and battery plant. (Source: BBC / 17 February 2020)
Feb 13 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court has ruled out in majority that a Muslim child conceived out of wedlock cannot bear his father’s name. The appeal was brought by the National Registration Department (NRD), its director-general and the government to set aside the appellate court’s decision, which held that a Muslim illegitimate child could bear his father’s name instead of using ‘bin Abdullah’. (Source: The Sun Daily /13 February 2020)
Feb 12 2020 |
Legal NewsAn energy company, Galp, which stopped paying its employees for smoking breaks has won its case in Spain's High Court. The Company claimed that it was implementing the new Spanish law that requires companies to record employees' entrances and departures from the workplace. (Source: BBC / 12 February 2020)
Feb 11 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court has declined to answer constitutional questions referred by the Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the constitutionality of the National Security Council Act 2016. The Court is of the view that it was not a proper case for the Federal Court to answer as the questions referred were abstract and purely academic. (Source: The Star / 11 February 2020)
Feb 10 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Perak state executive council member (exco) Paul Yong Choo Kiong to transfer his rape trial from the Sessions Court to the High Court on the ground that there was no appealable error by the Judicial Commissioner in refusing Yong’s application to transfer the case to the High Court. (Source: The Star / 10 February 2020)
Feb 10 2020 |
Legal NewsThe proposal to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity illegal has been passed in Switzerland. This shows public opinion is far more receptive to strengthening anti-discrimination legislation than analysts had predicted. (Source: BBC / 10 February 2020)
Feb 06 2020 |
Legal NewsChina's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has sued Verizon Communications Inc for alleging the used 12 of its patents without authorization. The telecommunications equipment maker is seeking compensation for the use of its technology in areas such as computer networking, download security and video communications, and is also seeking ongoing royalty payments, showed documents filed with the Eastern and Western District courts in Texas. (Source: The Sun Daily / 6 February 2020)
Feb 05 2020 |
Legal NewsThe High Court has allowed the prosecution’s application to transfer its case filed against Goldman Sachs (Singapore) Pte in connection with the issuance of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) bonds worth MYR27.2 billion (USD6.5 billion), from the magistrates court to the High Court. Goldman Sachs was charged in accordance with section 179(c) of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007, which carries a penalty comprising a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of not less than MYR1 million. (Source: The Sun Daily / 5 February 2020)
Feb 04 2020 |
Legal NewsMalaysia and Pakistan have formally signed a treaty on extradition that would strengthen the bilateral relationship by enhancing security against transnational crime in both countries. Malaysia has formed mutual assistance with more than 10 countries in criminal matters - Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Korea. (Source: New Straits Times / 4 February 2020)
Feb 04 2020 |
Legal NewsSingapore has passed the Hazardous Waste (Control of Export, Import and Transit) Amendment Bill – a law that governs transporting of plastic waste as it had to fulfil its international obligations as a party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal — an international treaty covering the transboundary movement of hazardous waste. (Source: Today / 4 February 2020)
Feb 01 2020 |
Legal NewsMembers of the European Parliament have voted for a single universal charging solution for small portable devices, which Apple had cautioned against. The idea behind the move is to "decouple" the sale of a charger from that of a new mobile device, and instead encourage consumers to re-use those they already own. (Source: BBC / 1 February 2020)
Jan 31 2020 |
Legal NewsJohnson & Johnson was ordered to pay USD344 million for "deceptively marketed their pelvic mesh products" for years to doctors and consumers without fully disclosing the risks of the devices, misleading users in violation of state consumer-protection laws in California, the first state to bring its claim against the company to trial after thousands of US women sued and some products were recalled. (Source: Straits Times / 31 January 2020)
Jan 30 2020 |
Legal NewsFacebook Inc. agreed to pay USD550 million to resolve claims that the company's photo-scanning technology or ‘tag suggestions’ violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008 by gathering and storing user biometric data without their permission. (Source: Straits Times / 30 January 2020)
Jan 28 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal has awarded a Myanmar refugee, Siang Len, almost MYR1.7 million in damages for pain and suffering and loss of amenities of his life in a medical negligence lawsuit. Siang Len had sought treatment at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia after being assaulted by a group of people and consequently, was given a massive overdose of an anaesthetic drug, ketamine, five times the intended dose. (Source: The Star /28 January 2020)
Jan 25 2020 |
Legal NewsJordan Belfort, the pump-and-dump scammer immortalised in The Wolf of Wall Street has filed a MYR1.2 billion fraud lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Red Granite Pictures and its chief executive officer Riza Aziz, saying that he was victimised by a far grander scam perpetrated by the film’s producers and that he had no idea they financed the film with millions of dollars stolen from the Malaysian government. (Source: The Star / 25 January 2020)
Jan 24 2020 |
Legal NewsMalaysian lawyers from the rights group Lawyers for Liberty have filed a legal action against Singapore’s Minister of Home Affairs, K.Shanmugam for directing its online falsehood law against the former over a press statement issued by them regarding the methods of death execution in Singapore stating that it was unlawful and brutal. (Source: New Straits Times / 24 January 2020)
Jan 22 2020 |
Legal NewsSocial media sites, online games and streaming services used by children will have to abide by the new Age Appropriate Design Code, set by the UK's data watchdog. The code includes a list of 15 standards that companies behind online services are expected to comply with to protect children's privacy. (Source: BBC / 22 January 2020)
Jan 21 2020 |
Legal NewsYang di-Pertuan Besar Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir proclaimed Seremban as a city and opened the Seremban City Council (MBS) Complex (Wisma Majlis Bandaraya Seremban). (Source: New Straits Times / 21 January 2020)
Jan 20 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court allowed a woman born to a Muslim father but raised as a Buddhist by her Buddhist mother to appeal against the High Court’s and Court of Appeal’s dismissals of her originating summons for a declaration that she was Buddhist and a not a Muslim. (Source: The Star / 20 January 2020)
Jan 20 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Vulnerable Witnesses Act draws on the Scandanavian system of Barnahus - or children's house, which help to ensure child witnesses are not traumatised. Children are no longer to be asked to give evidence in court, as the new system will allow child witnesses to record their evidence in advance of a trial and played later to a jury, for crimes including murder, sexual offences, human trafficking and domestic abuse. (Source: BBC / 20 January 2020)
Jan 18 2020 |
Legal NewsAn artificial intelligence (AI) application to determine appropriate sentences for certain criminal offences will be used in a pilot project by the courts in Sabah and Sarawak. The data analysis by the AI application would serve as a guideline to judicial officers in deciding on sentences. (Source: The Star / 18 January 2020)
Jan 15 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court unanimously dismissed a Muslim-convert mother’s application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s order in granting full custody of her two children to her ex-Buddhist husband on the ground that the woman had failed to meet the threshold requirement under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (Conditions of appeal). (Source: The Sun Daily / 15 January 2020)
Jan 14 2020 |
Legal NewsFollowing changes to the Singapore Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), companies that commit discriminatory hiring practices now face stiffer penalties, such as longer debarment periods when applying for work passes, fines and imprisonment of key personnel involved in the discriminatory hiring practices or make false declarations on fair hiring consideration. (Source: The Straits Times / 14 January 2020)
Jan 14 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Minimum Wages Order 2020, released by the Human Resources Ministry has been gazetted and will officially encompass 56 city and municipal council areas from 1 February 2020. It states that the minimum wage rate payable to an employee who works within the 16 city councils and 40 municipal councils will be MYR5.77 an hour or MYR1,200 monthly. (Source: The Star / 14 January 2020)
Jan 13 2020 |
Legal NewsBursa Malaysia Bhd today successfully launched the options contract on US Dollar denominated refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm olein futures (OPOL), the world’s first options contract on palm olein as a response to market demand for an options contract and to enhance the current FPOL contract by making OPOL available to the marketplace. (Source: New Straits Times / 13 January 2020)
Jan 10 2020 |
Legal NewsJustice Doris Ling-Cohan of the New York Supreme Court has decided for a Elle magazine advice columnist to proceed with her lawsuit accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of defamation for denying that he had raped her approximately 24 years ago in a Manhattan department store after Trump failed to show that the judge lacked jurisdiction to hear plaintiff E. Jean Carroll’s claims, or that Carroll’s efforts to gather evidence should be temporarily put on hold. (Source: New Straits Times / 10 January 2020)
Jan 10 2020 |
Legal NewsBrazil's Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that TV streaming service Netflix must remove a film depicting Jesus as gay. The Court further stated that Netflix should be allowed to continue streaming the show, stating that freedom of speech was fundamental in a democracy. (Source: BBC / 10 January 2020)
Jan 09 2020 |
Legal NewsA Brazilian judge issued an injunction ordering the streaming entertainment service Netflix to stop showing a controversial movie depicting Jesus as a gay man on its online platform after a religious organisation Associacao Centro Dom Bosco de Fe e Cultura filed a lawsuit against the show's creators Porta dos Fundos. The injunction is valid until the merits of the lawsuit are determined. (Source: Straits Times / 9 January 2020)
Jan 05 2020 |
Legal NewsAs new forms of healthcare such as telemedicine and mobile medical services become common, a new law seeks to better regulate them to safeguard the safety and welfare of patients. The Healthcare Services Bill will give the authorities powers to license new models of care to replace the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act 1980. (Source: Straits Times / 5 January 2020)
Jan 05 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Scottish government has introduced new regulations effective from 2024, to ensure all new homes built in Scotland use renewable or low-carbon heating. The regulations are part of Scotland’s plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions. (Source: BBC / 5 January 2020)
Jan 05 2020 |
Legal NewsFollowing the smoking ban in Malaysia, eateries are not allowed to provide designated smoking areas within three metres from its business operations area. If an eatery provides a designated smoking area outside the premises, it does not fall under the authority of the Ministry of Health (MOH) but the local authority (PBT). (Source: The Sun Daily / 5 January 2020)
Jan 02 2020 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal today upheld the sentence of 17 years jail and eight strokes of the rotan on a former lorry driver for raping his niece four years ago. The final appeal of the 41-year-old rapist against his punishment was unanimously turned down as the court found no merit to amend the sentence meted by the Sessions Court and concurred with by the High Court. (Source: Bernama / 2 January 2020)
Dec 30 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Kuala Lumpur allowed former Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) director Datuk Dr N. Sundra Rajoo’s judicial review application in his claim that he was entitled to immunity from prosecution for acts done in his official capacity under Part II of the Second Schedule of the International Organisations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1992 (Act 485). (Source: NST / 31 December 2019)
Dec 30 2019 |
Legal NewsAs the digital tax came into effect on January 2020, consumers in Malaysia could be facing an increase of prices for a number of overseas-based digital services. The digital tax was announced during Budget 2019, which outlined that a 6% service tax would be imposed on foreign digital services – including software, music, video and digital advertising (Source: The Star / 30 December 2019)
Dec 30 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) has issued the Revised Compilation Guide on Prudential and Structural Islamic Financial Indicators (PSIFIs) 2019, to address the latest global and domestic regulatory developments. It includes guidance on collection, compilation and dissemination of PSIFIs for banking, capital markets and takaful institutions offering Islamic financial services, among others. (Source: The Edge / 30 December 2019)
Dec 29 2019 |
Legal NewsThroughout 2020, tourists from China and India will be able to visit Malaysia without a tourist visa next year. They will be able to enter the country for up to 15 days by using the electronic travel registration and information system – either individually or through travel agencies in their respective countries. (Source: The Star / 29 December 2019)
Dec 27 2019 |
Legal NewsThailand's Commerce Ministry warned e-retailers that the regulation that all offline products must carry a price tag has been extended to include products sold online. Listing online products without giving a price tag was illegal and carried a penalty of a fine of up to THB10,000. (Source: Straits Times / 27 December 2019)
Dec 25 2019 |
Legal NewsA court in Thailand would rule on a complaint to dissolve an upstart opposition party, Future Forward Party, over alleged plots to overthrow the constitutional monarchy. The accusations against the Future Forward Party link its upside-down triangle logo to the supposed symbol of the Illuminati, which many conspiracy theorists – without offering serious evidence – claim is a secret society pursuing world domination. This decision could test the stability of the new government. (Source: New Straits Times / 25 December 2019)
Dec 24 2019 |
Legal NewsA Romanian court has upheld the acquittals of 25 men who were arrested in 2010 as part of a large joint operation with British police, accused of running a major child-trafficking operation. (Source: BBC / 24 December 2019)
Dec 23 2019 |
Legal NewsAn unmarried woman filed a suit against a Beijing hospital for rejecting her request to undergo a medical procedure to freeze her eggs due to her marital status. This is the first courtroom challenge to Chinese marriage laws governing assisted reproductive technology, which states that only married couples can use such health services, and they must be able to prove their marital status by showing a marriage licence. (Source: Straits Times / 23 December 2019)
Dec 21 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court in Singapore has awarded the former wife of a business executive in divorce proceedings more than half of their matrimonial assets worth SGD13.8 million, stating that she had prioritised their children over her career. The man and his ex-wife, had been married for 35 years and have four adult children. She filed for divorce after discovering that he had been having an affair. (Source: Straits Times / 21 December 2019)
Dec 20 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysia has scrapped the law criminalising fake news, Anti-Fake News Act in its second attempt after the Senate passed it. The repeal was in accordance with the government’s commitment to abolish draconian laws and ensure the media has the freedom to “check and balance” the administration. (Source: The Star / 20 December 2019)
Dec 19 2019 |
Legal NewsUS has raised the minimum age to purchase cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to 21 years old nationwide under the spending bill passed by the Senate in a provision aimed at curbing a surge in underage vaping. (Source: Wall Street Journal / 19 December 2019)
Dec 19 2019 |
Legal NewsEurope's top court has ruled that the accommodation-booking service Airbnb does not need an estate agent's licence to operate in France after the French tourism association had complained that Airbnb did not comply with French property laws. (Source: BBC / 19 December 2019)
Dec 18 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Negara has approved the Supply Bill (Budget) 2020, which has allocated MYR297 billion for the year 2020’s expenditure. (Source: Bernama /18 December 2019)
Dec 14 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal ruled in favour of a Singaporean house buyer and dismissed the appeal of a mega project developer, the Country Garden Danga Bay, in a long-running case which went from the Tribunal to the High Court and to the Court of Appeal. The developer is now appealing to the Federal Court against the decision in favour of the house buyer over the MYR1.6 million purchase. (Source: The Star / 14 December 2019)
Dec 13 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Ministry of Health has accepted a recent recommendations which provides a guidelines for doctors on what they need to tell patients about more common procedures. The recommendations aims to ensure patients are better able to make informed decisions about their own treatment and for doctors not to penalised unfairly in cases of omissions. (Source: The Straits Times / 13 December 2019)
Dec 13 2019 |
Legal NewsThe National Education Policy Committee is examining the proposed amendments to the Education Act 1996 which makes it compulsory for parents to send their children for primary and secondary education. Other proposed amendment include the introduction of vocational training as an option for students. (Source: Star / 13 December 2019)
Dec 12 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) will enforce the ‘Guidelines for the Reporting Framework for Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons’ by March 2020. The guidelines aims to provide guidance to companies, limited liability partnership and businesses on the requirements regarding beneficial owners. Failure to provide information of the beneficial owner’s in the Annual Statement could be subjected to a maximum fine of MYR50,000 under the Companies Act 2016. (Source: Bernama / 12 December 2019)
Dec 11 2019 |
Legal NewsIndia’s parliament has passed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill which offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Under current citizenship laws in India, illegal immigrants are prohibited from becoming Indian citizens. The Bill also now states that a person can only apply for citizenship if they have lived in India or worked for the federal government for at least 11 years. (Source: BBC / 11 December 2019)
Dec 10 2019 |
Legal NewsWestern Australia has legalised voluntary assisted dying, the second state in the country after Victoria. The new law provides for more than 100 safeguards in place, including the requirement for eligible persons to be terminally ill and in severe pain with a likelihood to result in death within six months or a year for a neurodegenerative condition, and for verbal and written requests signed off by doctors independent of one another. (Source: BBC / 10 December 2019)
Dec 05 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Australia, in a landmark ruling has held that the courts do not have the power to make common fund orders (CFOs), a court order which are issued at the outset of proceedings and guarantee litigation funders a share of successful class action pay-outs. The decision is likely to impact the litigation funding industry and result in a decline in class actions. (Source: The Global Legal Post / 5 December 2019)
Dec 04 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Election Commission is currently preparing amendments to the Elections (Registration of Electors) Regulations 2002 and other laws relating to the standard operating procedure for the implementation of the 18-year-old voting age and automatic voter registration. The implementation is expected to take place by July 2021. (Source: The Sun Daily / 4 December 2019)
Dec 04 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Rakyat has passed the Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill (“the Bill”) 2019 which among others, would allow the voluntary transfer of a husband’s EPF contributions, at a rate of two percent, into the account of his wife or wives. The Bill also seeks to impose travel bans on those with outstanding EPF and overdue contributions. (Source: New Straits Times / 4 December 2019)
Dec 01 2019 |
Legal NewsA special tribunal for managing and hearing cases involving sexual harassment will be set up, as part of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development’s plan to improve the justice system involving the issue. It is said that it will be included in the Sexual Harassment Act, which is currently being discussed. The Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament next year. (Source: The Sun Daily / 1 December 2019)
Nov 30 2019 |
Legal NewsFacebook, for the first time, has issued a correction notice on a user’s post that Singapore’s government said contained false information, in compliance with Singapore’s fake news law, also known as the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019. The correction notice was embedded at the bottom of the original post. (Source: BBC / 30 November 2019)
Nov 26 2019 |
Legal NewsAn Australian grandmother who was arrested in December 2014 while in transit at Kuala Lumpur airport with 1.1kg of crystal methamphetamine stitched into the compartment of a backpack she was carrying will be freed after the Federal Court overturned her death penalty and ordered her released. (Source: The Sun Daily / 26 November 2019)
Nov 26 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court has ruled that the housing controller has no power to grant an extension of time (EOT) to developers to complete their property development projects on the grounds that that Regulation 11 (3) of the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989 which confers power on the controller to waive and modify the terms and conditions of the contract of sale between purchasers and the developer was ultra vires the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966. (Source: The Star / 26 November 2019)
Nov 26 2019 |
Legal NewsTransport for London (TfL) has denied a new licence to Uber to operate in London after repeated safety failures and that the taxi app was not "fit and proper" as a licence holder, despite having made a number of positive changes to its operations. (Source: The Sun Daily / 26 November 2019)
Nov 25 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2019, which was tabled for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat by the Health Ministry allows for the planting of psychoactive plants like ketum for research purpose only and requires a letter of authorisation issued by the Health Minister. (Source: The Sun Daily / 25 November 2019)
Nov 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Kuala Lumpur High Court has ruled that the death of Dutch model, Ivana Esther Robert Smit, was caused by “persons known or unknown”, and overturned a coroner’s ruling that the death was due to misadventure or accident, as there was insufficient investigation done on the possibility of death by homicide. (Source: The Star / 23 November 2019)
Nov 22 2019 |
Legal NewsSarawak has filed writ of summons and statement of claim against the national oil corporation, Petronas for not paying the 5% state sales tax on petroleum products. (Source: The Star / 22 November 2019)
Nov 20 2019 |
Legal NewsIn a proposed class action filed in the US, Burger King is being sued for cooking its plant-based patties on the same grills it uses for meat. (Source: BBC / 20 November 2019)
Nov 20 2019 |
Legal NewsJuul Labs, the biggest vaping firm in the US, has been hit with a lawsuit by the state of New York accusing the firm of misrepresenting the safety of its products and targeting teens in advertisements. (Source: BBC / 20 November 2019)
Nov 19 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court ruled that Prime Minister or any other Minister are public officers within Section 5 of the Government Proceedings Act 1956, and further held that former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak was a public officer and could be sued for alleged misfeasance in public office. (Source: The Sun Daily / 19 November 2019)
Nov 19 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysian government will replace the arts and science streams for Form Four with STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Arts, Music) education next year. (Source: New Straits Times / 19 November 2019)
Nov 15 2019 |
Legal NewsA lawyer who sought SGD7.6 million from a taxi driver for a whiplash injury from an accident that disrupted her career plans has dropped the lawsuit, having resolved the case amicably at mediation before Justice Tan Lee Meng on terms which remain confidential. (Source: BBC / 15 November 2019)
Nov 15 2019 |
Legal NewsIndia's Supreme Court has agreed to review its landmark judgement allowing women of menstruating age to enter a controversial Hindu shrine as it led to massive protests in the state. Women who tried to enter the shrine were either sent back or, in some cases, even assaulted. (Source: BBC / 15 November 2019)
Nov 15 2019 |
Legal NewsAmazon has filed an intention to appeal the US Department of Defense's decision to give the Pentagon contract worth USD10 billion (over the next 10 years) to Microsoft. The Company claimed the decision was made due to political pressure. (Source: BBC / 15 November 2019)
Nov 10 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) has published a guideline, ironing out what falls under the new Service Tax on Digital Services’ scope. Service tax shall be charged and levied on any digital service provided by a foreign-registered person (FRP) to any consumer in Malaysia. Digital service has the meaning assigned to it under Section 2 of the Service Tax Act 2018 (STA). The rate is 6.0 per cent. (Source: Bernama / 10 November 2019)
Nov 09 2019 |
Legal NewsAn enactment to control and prohibit the spread of other religions to Muslims is being drafted by the state government. The committee agreed with the proposal, and the state Syariah prosecution department will review the drafted enactment and make improvement. (Source: The Star / 9 November 2019)
Nov 06 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court’s five-member panel upheld the death sentence of a former cook for murdering a student by stabbing her in the front neck four years ago after it has found that it was Syarafi Abu that had caused the fatal injury on Nur Syuhada Johari. (Source: The Sun Daily / 6 November 2019)
Nov 05 2019 |
Legal NewsBIKE-HAILING companies such as Indonesia’s Gojek and local start-up Dego Ride will be allowed to start operations under a pilot project from January 2020. The said companies would be allowed to offer rides under a six-month Proof of Concept (POC) pilot project to assess the system while awaiting laws to regulate bike-hailing. (Source: The Star / 5 November 2019)
Nov 05 2019 |
Legal NewsFacebook is introducing new branding for its products and services in an attempt to distinguish the company from its familiar app and website. The main Facebook app and website will retain its familiar blue branding. (Source: BBC / 5 November 2019)
Nov 05 2019 |
Legal NewsIn the latest and toughest measure to address the public safety concerns surrounding the usage of electric scooters, Singapore has banned its use on footpaths. Riders can use them only on park connectors and cycling paths or face fines, jail. (Source: The Straits Times / 5 November 2019)
Nov 04 2019 |
Legal NewsAlthough the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) has implemented various approaches to providing public awareness on taxation issues, the National tax seminars (SPK) is still relevant and is still regarded as the best medium to obtain information on taxation issues. (Source: Bernama / 4 November 2019)
Oct 30 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court of Malaya has postponed the hearing of an appeal by the now-defunct Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad and its former journalist in a defamation lawsuit filed against them by veteran lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon. Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah sought an adjournment of the appeal hearing as Utusan Melayu has been placed under creditors’ voluntary liquidation with an interim liquidator being appointed. (Source: The Sun Daily / 30 October 2019)
Oct 29 2019 |
Legal NewsA new committee led by the Youth and Sports Ministry, with the participation of representatives of the Home Ministry and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ismail Bakar, has been formed to speed up the process of decriminalising drug addiction. (Source: The Sun Daily / 29 October 2019)
Oct 29 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Kuala Lumpur has dismissed a bid by seven individuals to challenge the Health Ministry’s smoking ban at food outlets, enforced since 1 January 2019. The application was dismissed on grounds that the Health Ministry had acted within its jurisdiction and that the enforcement of the smoking ban did not breach Articles 5 and 8 of the Federal Constitution. (Source: The Sun Daily / 29 October 2019)
Oct 29 2019 |
Legal NewsMotorists who drive dangerously in Singapore will face harsher penalties from next month under changes made to the Singapore’s Road Traffic Act whereby repeat offenders who drive dangerously and cause death will face a maximum of 15 years in jail, compared with the current penalty of up to five years' jail. (Source: Straits Times / 29 October 2019)
Oct 25 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Penang High Court dismissed a defamation suit filed by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng against former Gerakan chief Jason Loo Jieh Sheng and two others, over an article on the sale of land at Lebuhraya Peel to a private hospital as the claim made by Lim as a plaintiff, had failed to prove the defamation statement by Jason as the first defendant, which was published by the two other defendants, namely The China Press Bhd and Guang Ming Ribao. (Source: New Straits Times / 25 October 2019)
Oct 22 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Ministry of Transport is in the process of developing a legal framework and terms for ‘’bike e-hailing’’ or motorcycle taxi services to facilitate the government in regulating the service to ensure that licensing terms and conditions were in line with regulations enforced on e-hailing services. (Source: The Sun Daily / 22 October 2019)
Oct 22 2019 |
Legal NewsThe government will regulate the gig economy in the country to ensure the welfare of workers in the sector is protected, since the nation has noted that currently those employed under the gig economy do not enjoy the benefits and protections of other permanent workers, and they could be mistreated and abused by employers. (Source: The Sun Daily / 22 October 2019)
Oct 21 2019 |
Legal NewsThe judiciary is studying the proposal to use the results of polygraph tests as evidence in court. This amendment was necessary as the proposal would involve amendments to be made to the law to allow the results to be used as evidence in court. (Source: The Sun Daily / 21 October 2019)
Oct 21 2019 |
Legal NewsHabeas corpus applications will be filed to seek the release of five men detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act over their alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would be filed at the Kuala Lumpur Court. Habeas corpus is a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, mainly to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention. (Source: The Star / 21 October 2019)
Oct 20 2019 |
Legal NewsThe government will be imposing a new additional condition on foreign companies to get the support from their own government before exporting the plastic to Malaysia next year. (Source: The Star / 20 October 2019)
Oct 18 2019 |
Legal NewsTwo Sarawakian researchers have developed a technology using artificial intelligence that uses algorithms and machine learning techniques to detect abnormalities in stress echocardiograms (AI) to provide early detection of heart disease. (Source: The Star / 18 October 2019)
Oct 16 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysia is looking to accelerate the country’s journey towards becoming a digital economy, with several initiatives being announced including making the country a global test bed for emerging technologies and innovation. The digital economy, which had been growing faster than the overall economy, was key to building income for the people. (Source: New Straits Times / 16 October 2019)
Oct 16 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Election Commission (EC) is expected to have the infrastructure and system ready to implement the new ruling for automatic voter registration which includes making Malaysians eligible to vote from the age of 18 before the next general election. (Source: The Star / 16 October 2019)
Oct 15 2019 |
Legal NewsAccording to the Dewan Rakyat order papers posted on the Parliament website, measures taken by the government to manage the increase in suicide attempts in the country and contribution of the catering industry to the country are expected to be the focus at the Dewan Rakyat sitting. (Source: The Sun Daily / 15 October 2019)
Oct 11 2019 |
Legal NewsFollowing are the highlights of the Budget 2020 that was tabled in Dewan Rakyat by the Ministry of Finance and was themed, "Driving Growth And Equitable Outcomes Towards Shared Prosperity". (Source: Bernama / 11 October 2019)
Oct 10 2019 |
Legal NewsAfter two days of debates and resistance by the Opposition, the Bill to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act was passed after bloc voting of where 92 MPs voted for the law to be abolished and 51votes were against it. The Bill was tabled for the second time on Monday after a cooling-off period of one year under Article 68 of the Federal Constitution was over. (Source: The Star / 10 October 2019)
Oct 09 2019 |
Legal NewsEmployees of Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad were told to pack up their belongings and leave the office by 1pm on Wednesday (Oct 9) as the cash-strapped company officially ceases operations. Poor cash flow, mounting debts and declining sales led to its board of directors in approving the Creditor's Voluntary Liquidation proposal and appointing UHY Advisory (KL) Sdn Bhd as interim liquidator. (Source: The Star / 9 October 2019)
Oct 09 2019 |
Legal NewsThe proposed Bill for National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NAFCC) to coordinate probes and manage centralised data on financial crime will have no investigative powers. The setting up of the NAFCC would streamline probes into financial crimes committed locally and abroad by enforcement agencies. (Source: The Star / 9 October 2019)
Oct 08 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the proposed Currency Bill 2019 that was tabled in Dewan Rakyat recently, any person issuing, printing or minting any note, coin, token, document or instrument which is likely to pass as legal tender commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding MYR50 million or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 October 2019)
Oct 08 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court in Singapore will be restructured into the General Division of the High Court and the Appellate Division. A new Appellate Division of the High Court will hear all civil appeals not allocated to the Court of Appeal under a proposed restructuring of the Supreme Court. The new division, to be staffed by newly designated Judges of the Appellate Division, will have no criminal jurisdiction. (Source: The Straits Times / 8 October 2019)
Oct 04 2019 |
Legal NewsE-hailing company Grab has been slapped with a proposed fine of MYR86.7 million by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) for collectively breaching Section 10 of the Competition Act 2010. According to MyCC, Grab abused its dominant position by imposing a number of restrictive clauses on its drivers that prevented them from promoting and providing advertising services for Grab’s competitors in the e-hailing and transit media advertising market. (Source: The Star / 4 October 2019)
Oct 02 2019 |
Legal NewsA US federal judge has temporarily blocked a strict new abortion law in the state of Georgia that would have banned terminations as early as six weeks into pregnancy and it was scheduled to come into effect on 1 January.2020. (Source: BBC / 2 October 2019)
Oct 01 2019 |
Legal NewsA UK High Court judge has ruled an email sent by a lawyer which sets out terms, including a sale price GBP25, 000 lower than the original asking price, which the other lawyer accepted as legally binding as it includes his automated signature at the bottom of the email - although not added deliberately by him - served as a signature. (Source: BBC / 1 October 2019)
Sep 30 2019 |
Legal NewsA new operation guideline on the procedure for the submission of Amended Return Form (BNT) has been uploaded into the Inland Revenue Board official portal. It allows tax payers to make their own amendment on the information or assessment in Return Form (BN) and Petroleum Return Form (BNP) submitted together with BNT. The said document can be accessed and downloaded via www.hasil.gov.my . (Source: The Sun Daily / 30 September 2019)
Sep 27 2019 |
Legal NewsPerbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) has renewed partnership agreements worth MYR3.29 billion with 17 development partners to reaffirm its commitment to deliver affordable quality homes to the rakyat. The renewed agreement outlines an improved business model that will enable PR1MA and the developers to more effectively deliver on the mandate to provide affordable housing for the rakyat, in line with the government’s national housing agenda. (Source: The Star / 27 September 2019)
Sep 25 2019 |
Legal NewsThe government is formulating a new Act applicable to the local music industry. It will be similar to the Finas Act, addressing issues like promotion, nourishment and facilitation of the development of the Malaysian film industry. (Source: The Sun Daily / 25 September 2019)
Sep 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe EU’s top court has ruled in favor of Google in a dispute from Google and a French privacy regulator when it stated that Google does not have to apply the right to be forgotten globally, and the firm only needs to remove links from its search results in Europe - and not elsewhere - after receiving an appropriate request. (Source: BBC / 24 September 2019)
Sep 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe move to table the Political Funding Bill that will require political parties to reveal their source of funds has mostly received a positive reaction from politicians and think tanks,. However, many, especially MPs are still in the dark on the details of the proposed law. (Source: The Star / 24 September 2019)
Sep 23 2019 |
Legal NewsA study on the content, approach and scope of the special act for senior citizens in Malaysia will be carried out and is expected to be tabled in Parliament in 2021. There is a need for a legislation to protect the rights of the elderly due to the increasing number of neglect and abuse cases of the same in Malaysia. (Source: New Straits Times / 23 September 2019)
Sep 22 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is amending some provisions in its law, scheduled to be tabled in Parliament before the year ends, to further improve the agency and give it more clout to combat corruption more effectively. The amendments will include, among others, provisions in Section 36 of the MACC Act 2009 to allow investigation to be conducted directly on individuals who are found to be living beyond their income. (Source: The Sun Daily / 22 September 2019)
Sep 19 2019 |
Legal NewsThe working paper on the Rahmatan Lil Alamin concept will be presented to the cabinet meeting and expected to be adopted as a new government policy once it is approved by the Cabinet. The ‘Rahmatan lil Alamin’ concept, which means Mercy to all Creations, has been approved by the Rulers’ Council and the Islamic National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia. (Source: The Sun Daily / 19 September 2019)
Sep 19 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysia has launched the new Foreign Policy Framework that will serve as a definitive guide for Wisma Putra’s foreign policy direction after a “thorough and comprehensive” reviews and assessments as well as consultations with various stakeholders. (Source: The Star / 19 September 2019)
Sep 18 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Political Funding Bill and the Bill on Establishment of an Ombudsman are among the new laws and regulations mooted to complement initiatives to make Malaysia corruption-free are set to be tabled in the Parliament of Malaysia soon. (Source: The Star / 18 September 2019)
Sep 14 2019 |
Legal NewsSatire is not covered by the new Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) to tackle online falsehoods. Only false statements which objectively would be seen as statements of fact can be caught under Pofma. (Source: The Straits Times / 14 September 2019)
Sep 13 2019 |
Legal NewsBank Simpanan Negara (BSN) has launched the ‘G-Card Visa’, a credit card specifically for civil servants. It is a collaborative effort between BSN and the Malaysian Government Servants Welfare and Sports Council (MAKSAK), the initiative features banking charges of 8.88 per cent per year, the lowest compared to charges of other credit cards in the market which are as high as 18 per cent per year. (Source: Bernama / 13 September 2019)
Sep 12 2019 |
Legal NewsThe America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will finalise a policy that is planning to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes that would clear the market of unauthorised, non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products after an outbreak of vaping-related lung diseases sickened over 450 and killed at least six people in the country. (Source: Bernama / 12 September 2019)
Sep 12 2019 |
Legal NewsIn a four-to-one majority, the Federal Court dismissed an application by a group of Sarawakians to review a 2016 decision over native customary land rights. The Court ruled in favour of the Sarawak government and provisional leaseholder on grounds that the review application was more of an appeal rather than a judicial review. (Source: The Star / 12 September 2019)
Sep 10 2019 |
Legal NewsChina’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has dropped a lawsuit against the Commerce Department and other US government agencies for seizing its equipment in Alaska in 2017 en route back to China after a lab test in California. The suit was dropped following to the release of the telecommunications equipment Washington had seized on suspicion of violations of export controls, according to a court filing on Monday. (Source: The Sun Daily / 10 September 2019)
Sep 10 2019 |
Legal NewsVirginia couple is challenging the law in the US state of Virginia that requires couples to declare their racial background from a long list of options before getting married. The suit, filed by lawyer Victor M Glasberg on behalf of three couples, describes the statute as "unconstitutional" and "reflective of a racist past". (Source: BBC / 10 September 2019)
Sep 09 2019 |
Legal NewsAccording to the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRB)’s new guidelines effective 5 September 2019, donors who contributed MYR10,000 and above will be required to submit their details to IRB following to the recommendation of the Finance Minister to prevent their approval status from being cancelled due to non-compliance of any requirements. (Source: New Straits Times / 9 September 2019)
Sep 05 2019 |
Legal NewsThe state government will set up a Department of Women to help increase the participation of Pahang women in development programmes especially in rural areas. The department would basically involves 11 positions and would work with a newly formed non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Pahang Women’s Council. (Source: The Sun Daily / 5 September 2019)
Sep 05 2019 |
Legal NewsMagistrates in France have dropped manslaughter charges brought by victims' relatives against Air France and Airbus over a mid-Atlantic plane crash in 2009 that killed all 228 people on board as there were not enough grounds to prosecute. (Source: BBC / 5 September 2019)
Sep 05 2019 |
Legal NewsA Texas couple, Guillermo and Jessica Garcia, who were injured in a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso last month has filed a lawsuit against the corporation alleging it did not have adequate security in place to prevent the attack that killed 22 people. (Source: The Straits Times / 5 September 2019)
Sep 04 2019 |
Legal NewsSingapore has passed new law in its Parliament, imposing a mandatory insurance for work-related injuries that will provide higher maximum payouts and cover around 300,000 more workers. Employees placed on light duties owing to work injuries will also receive medical leave wages for up to two weeks, while companies with poor safety records may face higher insurance premiums when more information is available to insurers. (Source: The Straits Times / 4 September 2019)
Sep 03 2019 |
Legal NewsSingapore has passed two Bills on streamlining the process of recognising and enforcing foreign judgments in civil cases. One Bill involves amending the Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (Refja) to encompass the registration and enforcement of all such judgments and the other repeals the Reciprocal Enforcement of Commonwealth Judgments Act. (Source: The Straits Times / 3 September 2019)
Aug 29 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to reinstate his lawsuit in which he seeks a declaration to invalidate a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into foreign exchange losses suffered by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in the 1990s and further held that the findings of the RCI were not subjected to challenge. (Source: The Star / 29 August 2019)
Aug 27 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Malaya dismissed an application by Sisters In Islam (SIS) Forum (Malaysia) challenging Selangor Fatwa Committee's decision declaring the organisation as deviant, ruling that fatwa (edict) is the exclusive jurisdiction of the Syariah Court. The Court further ruled that the civil court has no jurisdiction to hear the judicial review application brought by SIS and its founder Zainah Mahfoozah Anwar and former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, pursuant to Article 121A of the Federal Constitution. (Source: NST / 27 August 2019)
Aug 27 2019 |
Legal NewsSingapore has imposed stricter rules governing the use, collection and disclosure of the NRIC and other national identification numbers. Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) stated that unless required by law, it will be illegal for organisations to physically hold on to an individual's NRIC and collect its full number. This applies to birth certificate numbers, foreign identification numbers and work permit numbers as well. (Source: The Straits Times / 27 August 2019)
Aug 27 2019 |
Legal NewsDrugmaker Johnson & Johnson will finally be held accountable for thousands of deaths and addictions, after a judge in Oklahoma ruled out that it must pay USD572 million for its part in fuelling Oklahoma's opioid addiction crisis. (Source: BBC / 27 August 2019)
Aug 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court ruled out that a maintenance company is wholly responsible for injuries suffered by a worker who fell from a 7meter high fireman's ladder while cleaning and waterproofing a ventilation duct, who has suffered a spinal fracture and became a paraplegic. (Source: The Straits Times / 24 August 2019)
Aug 21 2019 |
Legal NewsIn the first ruling of its kind, the Mexico City Court has granted two people the right to recreational cocaine use which allow the claimants to "possess, transport and use cocaine" but not sell it. The ruling will only come into effect if a panel of judges side with the original decision. If they do approve the ruling, it will only apply to the two people who brought the cases. (Source: BBC / 21 August 2019)
Aug 20 2019 |
Legal NewsTwitter and Facebook have taken steps to block what they described as a state-backed Chinese misinformation campaign to “sow political discord in Hong Kong”. Twitter said he accounts originated in mainland China and were part of a coordinated attempt to undermine the “legitimacy and political positions of the protest movement”. Facebook on the other hand, removed "seven Pages, three Groups and five Facebook accounts.” (Source: BBC / 20 August 2019)
Aug 19 2019 |
Legal NewsMental assessment of those charged with criminal offences in Malaysia can only be done at four approved psychiatric hospitals under the Mental Health Act 2001 to admit and detain individuals under Sections 342, 344 and 348 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). The hospitals are, Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (HBUK) in Perak, Hospital Permai (Johor), Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang (Sabah) and Hospital Sentosa (Sarawak). (Source: NST / 19 August 2019)
Aug 19 2019 |
Legal NewsSabah is setting up Malaysia’s first Digital and Artificial Intelligence Legal Aid Centre to provide free legal advice to the public. The centre will open its doors at the Grand Merdeka Shopping Mall in Telipok, about 21km from the state capital, in November. (Source: The Star / 19 August 2019)
Aug 18 2019 |
Legal NewsSingapore will raise the retirement age in the public service to 65 from the current 62 in 2021 and the re-employment age also to be increased to 70 from 67. (Source: Bernama / 18 August 2019)
Aug 16 2019 |
Legal NewsABC talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been fined USD395,000 for breach of broadcasting rules, mimicking a presidential emergency alert tone on the programme and mocking the warning system (‘the system’). The system was designed to warn of major threats such as missile attacks, natural disasters and acts of terrorism, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). (Source: BBC / 16 August 2019)
Aug 15 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Kuala Lumpur has awarded another half a million in exemplary damages to The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd in addition to a RMYR11.2 million in compensatory damages for loss of revenue due to the three-month suspension of its two publications by the Home Ministry in 2015. (Source: The Star / 15 August 2019)
Aug 14 2019 |
Legal NewsA High Court Judge in England as ended an "extraordinary" court battle between two stepsisters, Ms Winter and Ms Cutler, in a dispute over their late parents’ GBP300,000 assets by ruling out that Ms Cutler should receive the whole estate under the doctrine of “presumption” envisage in the England Law of Property Act 1925. (Source: BBC / 14 August 2019)
Aug 12 2019 |
Legal NewsA Singapore district judge has dismissed damages sought by two residents for negligence of a condominium management corporation (MC) for damage caused to cars parked on its grounds overnight when stormy weather uprooted a tree in the estate as they failed to show that the MC of Pandan Valley condominium breached its duty of care. (Source: Straits Times / 12 August 2019)
Aug 12 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court has held that the owner of a SGD14 million Sentosa Cove waterfront villa that had numerous defects, including water seepage and two lifts that did not comply with safety regulations, is entitled to claim damages from the developer. However, the quantum of damages that he can recover has been reduced by the Court due to the home owner's "unreasonable" actions, in denying access to the developer to fix the defects. (Source: Straits Times / 12 August 2019)
Aug 08 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Health Ministry plans to introduce a new Act looking at all new products in the market at present that come under its preview, as part of its comprehensive review of the Tobacco Act. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 August 2019)
Aug 07 2019 |
Legal NewsParliament of Singapore passed Bil for new science and technology agency, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, which has been tasked with developing cutting-edge capabilities for security or life-saving operations, will be known as HTX for short, with "X" symbolising its role as a force multiplier. (Source: The Straits Times / 7 August 2019)
Aug 06 2019 |
Legal NewsA bill on amendments to the Shariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995 which will come into force on 9 September this year has been passed by the Sabah State Legislative Assembly. The amendments intended to insert the definitions of Islam and Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah, and also to include whipping as a punishment for those found guilty of spreading and/or performing any acts that are against the true teachings of Islam. (Source: The Sun Daily / 6 August 2019)
Aug 06 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Law Ministry (MinLaw) of Singapore has tabled two bills to streamline reciprocal enforcement of foreign judgment, namely the Reciprocal Enforcement of Foreign Judgments (Refja) (Amendment) Bill and the Reciprocal Enforcement of Commonwealth Judgments (Recja) (Repeal) Bill as part of Singapore's policy reforms to get more judgments in Singapore to be recognised and enforced overseas. (Source: The Straits Times / 6 August 2019)
Aug 03 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court set out sentencing framework to clarify and guide maid abuse cases when they throw out an appeal of a man found guilty of maid abuse and had his sentence extended by 15 months. (Source: Singapore Law Watch / 3 August 2019)
Aug 02 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the new rule announce recently, women over the age of 21 in Saudi Arabia can apply for a passport without authorization from a male guardian thus, allowing them to travel abroad without a male guardian's permission. (Source: BBC / 2 August 2019)
Jul 31 2019 |
Legal NewsDewan Negara today approved the Syarie Legal Profession (Federal Territories) Bill 2019 aimed at setting up a Syarie Legal Profession Qualification Board to supervise the syarie legal profession’s practice in the Federal Territories. (Source: Bernama / 31 July 2019)
Jul 30 2019 |
Legal NewsIndia's parliament has approved a bill that makes the Muslim practice of "instant divorce" a criminal offence and men found in breach of the new law can be jailed for up to three years. (Source: BBC / 30 July 2019)
Jul 28 2019 |
Legal NewsGenting Malaysia Bhd and Twentieth Century Fox has reached a full resolution via a restated memorandum of agreement, which granted Genting the use of certain Fox intellectual properties (IP). The restated agreement contains less attractive terms for Genting, compared with the original agreement since it is only allowed to utilise certain Fox IP and the theme park would have to blend in non-Fox IP. (Source: The Sun Daily / 28 July 2019)
Jul 25 2019 |
Legal NewsOnly ten days after the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 to lower the voting age was passed at the Dewan Rakyat, Dewan Negara has approved the motion with a two-thirds majority which will give way to Malaysians aged 18 to be eligible to vote, as opposed to 21 before this, and being automatically registered as voters when they turn 18. (Source: The Star / 25 July 2019)
Jul 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Youth Societies and Youth Development (Amendment) Bill 2019 was approved by the Senate which seeks to, among others, reduce the age cap for the definition of youth from 40 to 30, which aimed at ensuring youth development was in line with the Malaysian Youth Policy as well as existing government policies in strengthening the roles and responsibilities of youth in the country. (Source: The Sun Daily / 24 July 2019)
Jul 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Negara has passed the Peaceful Assembly (Amendment) Bill 2019 which sought to make street protests no longer an offence by making amendment to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 to give more space for freedom of speech and peaceful assembly in line with Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. (Source: The Sun Daily / 24 July 2019)
Jul 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Negara has passed three bills as of to date; Trademarks Bill 2019, Trade Descriptions (Amendment) Bill 2019 and Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2019 tabled by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. (Source: The Sun Daily / 23 July 2019)
Jul 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Negara has passed three bills as of to date; Trademarks Bill 2019, Trade Descriptions (Amendment) Bill 2019 and Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2019 tabled by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. (Source: The Sun Daily / 23 July 2019)
Jul 22 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has required listed companies to put in place anti-corruption measures, among other recommendations, as part of its plan in support of the National Anti-Corruption Plan (2019-2023) (NACP) to strengthen the standards of corporate governance to prevent corruption, misconduct and fraud. (Source: The Sun Daily / 22 July 2019)
Jul 18 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Revision of Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 which will allow the Commissioner of Law Revision authorised under the Revision of Laws Act 1968 to make any changes in any written law, was approved by the Dewan Rakyat. (Source: The Sun Daily / 18 July 2019)
Jul 17 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Parliament today passed the motion of the proposed redelineation of electoral boundaries in Sabah, which involves adding 13 state seats. (Source: The Sun Daily / 17 July 2019)
Jul 16 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Rakyat has passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 to lower the voting age to 18 with a total of 211 votes in Parliament on 16 July 2019. (Source: The Star / 16 July 2109)
Jul 15 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Rakyat has passed the Syarie Legal Profession (Federal Territories) Bill 2019, aimed at establishing the Syarie Legal Profession Qualifying Board, Syariah Lawyers’ Body and the Federal Territories Syarie Lawyers Council to ensure professional practices, behaviour and code of conduct. (Source: New Straits Times / 15 July 2019)
Jul 15 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the proposals in the Currency Bill 2019 (“the Bill”), business entities intending to issue local cryptocurrencies in Malaysia may run foul of the law and face a MYR50mil fine. The Bill was tabled to ensure that Bank Negara remains the sole authority over the Malaysian currency. (Source: The Star / 15 July 2109)
Jul 11 2019 |
Legal NewsThe bill proposed to amend paragraph (b) of Article 47 of the Federal Constitution to lower the age of a citizen who is qualified to be a Member of the House of Representatives from 21 years to 18 years was retabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat. (Source: Bernama / 11 July 2019)
Jul 10 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Companies (Amendment) Bill 2019 aimed at clarifying several provisions in the Companies Act 2016 (Act 777) was passed by the Dewan Rakyat with amendments to enable policies relating to companies to be implemented more effectively and in a structured manner. (Source: The Sun Daily / 10 July 2019)
Jul 10 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Companies (Amendment) Bill 2019 aimed at clarifying several provisions in the Companies Act 2016 (Act 777) was passed by the Dewan Rakyat with amendments to enable policies relating to companies to be implemented more effectively and in a structured manner. (Source: The Sun Daily / 10 July 2019)
Jul 08 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2019 (“the Act”) aimed at increasing the penalty on any party which fails to abide by an award made by the Consumer Claims Tribunal, was passed unanimously by Parliament. The amendments to the Act would indirectly compel businesses to treat consumers more fairly. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 July 2019)
Jul 08 2019 |
Legal NewsThe word “mandatory” with regard to sentencing in drug trafficking cases will be removed from legislation to allow presiding judges the choice to either impose the death sentence or imprisonment of not less than 10 years. Under current laws (Section 39B, Dangerous Drugs Act 1952), an accused found guilty of trafficking a certain amount of drugs will be punished with the mandatory death sentence. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 July 2019)
Jul 05 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court has granted a Hindu man, Vasu Muniandy, a 45-year-old civil servant from Banting, full custody of their four daughters and three sons, aged three to 17 after his wife embraced Islam last year and had sought guardianship of their children. (Source: The Sun Daily / 5 July 2019)
Jul 04 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Rakyat has passed the Peaceful Assembly Act (Amendment) 2019 Bill which set to decriminalise street protests that were originally an offence under the act. (Source: New Straits Times / 4 July 2019)
Jul 02 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Rakyat has passed the Trademarks Bill 2019 (“the Bill”) which would allow individuals or companies to register trademarks such as smell, sound, shape and colour. The expansion of the trademark protection scope to non-traditional marks was a necessity for the domestic and foreign trade sectors. (Source: The Sun Daily / 2 July 2019)
Jul 02 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Singapore (the “Court”) in dismissing an appeal by an HIV-positive Singaporean convicted of not informing a victim has ruled out that HIV-positive offenders are duty-bound to inform prospective sexual partners of the infection risk and not just disclose their HIV status. The Court also set a new sentencing framework to deal with such first-time offenders who may face jail terms of up to 10 years if their victims get infected. (Source: The Straits Times / 2 July 2019)
Jul 01 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Customs Department of Malaysia has started implemented sugar tax on 1 July 2019 to licensed importers of sweetened beverages in Malaysia. (Source: The Star / 1 July 2019)
Jun 28 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Kelantan government’s oil royalty suit against the federal government has been finally settled at the High Court after Kelantan filed a notice of discontinuance against the federal government to withdraw its suit which was initiated in 2010. (Source: The Sun Daily / 28 June 2019)
Jun 27 2019 |
Legal NewsInternational Trade and Industry (MITI) has introduced Trade and Industry Advisory Council (TIAC) which is set to forge policies, strategies and potential reforms of the country’s international trade, investment promotion and industry development. (Source: New Straits Times / 27 June 2019)
Jun 26 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court has dismissed an appeal against the decision of an election petition brought by Noor Hayaty Mustapha from Parti Warisan Sabah and ruled that Datuk Seri Musa Aman's son, Yamani Hafez Musa, can keep the Sipitang parliamentary seat. (Source: The Star / 26 June 2019)
Jun 23 2019 |
Legal NewsA Singapore District Judge rejected a 22-year-old man's bid to compel his wealthy mother to maintain him on the ground that the psychiatric condition that he suffered, which allowed him to defer national service, did not mean he could not work for his upkeep. (Source: The Straits Times / 23 June 2019)
Jun 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Universities and University Colleges (AUKU) Act 1971 and the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) are amongst other higher education related Acts that will be abolished and replaced by a new Act aimed at introducing more efficient and sustainable governance and financing structure to support academic freedom and autonomy in universities. (Source: New Straits Times / 23 June 2019)
Jun 22 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court has ruled that the Industrial Court had committed serious errors of law in arriving at its decision in October last year and quashed the award of over MYR1.2mil in backwages and compensation granted to a former managing director of Sime Darby Auto Selection Sdn Bhd. (Source: The Star / 22 June 2019)
Jun 21 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court was unanimous in its dismissal of the appeal by Fong Kong Meng and his wife Teoh Ching Yen and upheld the 20-year jail term imposed on them for causing the death of their Indonesian maid in 2011. (Source: The Star / 21 June 2019)
Jun 18 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Human Resources Ministry plans to extend the personal and family protection scheme through Social Security Organisation (Sosco) contributions to farmers, rubber smallholders and fishermen. It would also be compulsory for taxi, Grab and bus drivers to make Socso contributions, starting next month. (Source: New Straits Times / 18 June 2019)
Jun 15 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysians travelling to New Zealand will soon need to pay for a travel document and levy to get into the country under the new New Zealand immigration requirement, which will be implemented from 1 October 2019. (Source: The Star / 15 June 2019)
Jun 14 2019 |
Legal NewsChina's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is aiming to trademark its "Hongmeng" operating system (OS) to replace the U.S. Android OS in at least nine countries and Europe in process of deploying a back-up plan in key markets as U.S. sanctions threaten its business model. (Source: The Sun Daily / 14 June 2019)
Jun 12 2019 |
Legal NewsVietnam International Commercial Mediation Center (VICMC), an international commercial mediation centre launched in Hanoi under a license of the Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice and in cooperation agreement with law faculties of the nation. (Source: Global Legal Post / 12 June 2019)
Jun 11 2019 |
Legal NewsUnited Kingdom has declared a ban on adverts featuring "harmful gender stereotypes" or those which are likely to cause "serious or widespread offence". The ban covers scenarios such as a man with his feet up while a woman cleans, or a woman failing to park a car. (Source: BBC / 11 June 2019)
Jun 11 2019 |
Legal NewsBotswana's High Court has ruled in favour of decriminalising homosexuality in a landmark decision rejecting the laws that impose up to seven years in prison for same-sex relationships on the grounds of unconstitutionality. (Source: BBC / 11 June 2019)
Jun 11 2019 |
Legal NewsNational carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA), which had obtained a default judgment against a United States-based firm that failed to pay for a USD6.5 million second-hand Boeing 777-212 plane will have to make its case in court again following a High Court decision to set aside SIA's default win after the buyer, CSDS Aircraft Sales & Leasing argued that SIA was procedurally wrong to enforce the sales deal in court and later treat the deal as cancelled for non-payment and seek damages instead. (Source: Straits Times / 11 June 2019)
Jun 09 2019 |
Legal NewsBursa Malaysia Securities Bhd has publicly reprimanded CSL and two of its directors for committing financial reporting breaches, corporate governance breaches, foreign listing requirements breaches, non-compliance with Bursa Malaysia Securities’ directives and disclosure breaches and were imposed total fines of MYR5.38 million as at to date. (Source: The Sun Daily / 9 June 2019)
Jun 09 2019 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Australia ruled a sperm donor is the father of an 11-year-old girl because it was understood he would be involved in her life and that he had the legal status of a parent of the said child. (Source: BBC / 9 June 2019)
Jun 06 2019 |
Legal NewsHong Kong's top court has ruled in favour of Angus Leung, a local immigration officer, applying for spousal and tax benefits for his husband, Scott Adams. The couple sued the government after they got married in New Zealand and was unable to access the benefits civil servants' spouses are entitled to in Hong Kong. (Source: BBC / 6 June 2019)
Jun 03 2019 |
Legal NewsAll applicants for US visas will have to submit social media names and five years' worth of email addresses and phone numbers under the newly adopted rules, The State Department regulations. (Source: BBC / 3 June 2019)
Jun 03 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Attorney-General’s Chambers has all the rights to ask the Housing and Local Government Ministry to remove its legal counsel appointed, Syazlin Mansor from the inquest into the death of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim as there is an appearance of conflict of interest towards this case according to The Malaysian Bar. (Source: The Sun Daily / 3 June 2019)
Jun 01 2019 |
Legal NewsAmendments to Parliament’s Standing Orders are underway to allow live coverage of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings in a move towards having a more transparent Parliament. (Source: New Straits Times / 1 June 2019)
May 31 2019 |
Legal NewsSweden has introduced ‘The Beer Contract’, a legally binding contract that allows friends to take each other to court for cancelling or rearranging a planned beer. Failing to meet a friend for a beer will cost EUR50 for breach of contract. (Source: Global Legal Post / 31 May 2019)
May 29 2019 |
Legal NewsUS state of Oklahoma is suing Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest drug manufacturers for deceptively marketing painkillers and downplaying addiction risks, fueling a so-called "opioid epidemic". (Source: BBC / 29 May 2019)
May 29 2019 |
Legal NewsChinese tech giant, Huawei has filed a legal motion for a summary judgment in its case, challenging the constitutionality of Section 889 of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), which prohibits American government agencies and their contractors from buying Huawei’s equipment and services. (Source: Straits Times / 29 May 2019)
May 28 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Court of Appeal dismissed two appeals by a Malaysian, Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who was convicted and on death row for nine years for importing 42.72g of heroin into Singapore a year before. (Source: Singapore Law Watch / 28 May 2019)
May 27 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court will rehear an appeal by the National Registration Department (NRD) and two others on whether a Muslim child conceived out of wedlock can bear his or her father's surname after the Court of Appeal held that a fatwa had no force of law and could not form the legal basis for the NRD director-general to decide on the surname of an illegitimate child under section 13A (2) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 (BDRA). (Source: The Star / 27 May 2019)
May 25 2019 |
Legal NewsThe government is funding Universiti Malaya to carry out research and study, looking into learning from other countries on how to cater to the needs of the elderly to develop the proposed bill for a new law to safeguard the welfare of the elderly. (Source: NST / 25 May 2019)
May 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Court of Appeal today granted Malaysian Pannir Selvam a/l Pranthaman’s application to stay his execution at dawn tomorrow and enable him to challenge upon the rejection of clemency. (Source: The Sun Daily / 23 May 2019)
May 21 2019 |
Legal NewsParis Court of Appeal has ordered doctors to resume life support of a 42 years old quadriplegic man, Vincent Lambert, reversing earlier judicial ruling that said Mr Lambert should be removed from life support. This case has become central to the right-to-die debate and the “Je Suis Vincent Lambert” movement in France. (Source: BBC / 21 May 2019)
May 17 2019 |
Legal NewsThe amendment to o the proposed plastic waste classification by the Basel Convention, an international treaty, requires a ‘prior informed consent (PIC) from the country importing the plastic waste before any cross-border waste movement is conducted. This will help Malaysia restrict the import of such wastes from other countries more effectively. (Source: Bernama / 17 May 2019)
May 17 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has released the revised Guidelines on Property Crowdfunding to provide an alternative financing avenue for first-time homebuyers. To facilitate property crowdfunding, the revised guidelines list out the requirements and obligations of a property crowdfunding platform operator, to support the integrity of the scheme and protect investors’ interest. (Source: The Sun Daily / 17 May 2019)
May 17 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Kuala Terengganu sessions court’s decision to fine MYR1.56 million each on two Vietnamese poachers has been the highest amount in Malaysia’s history for wildlife crimes. The Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry will continue to intensify efforts to combat wildlife crimes and elements that bring destruction to wildlife and natural resources in Malaysia, especially poaching endangered animals. (Source: The Sun Daily / 17 May 2019)
May 16 2019 |
Legal NewsAlabama has passed a bill to restrict abortions in almost all cases including rape or incest. Under the said Bill, doctors face 10 years in prison for attempting to terminate a pregnancy and 99 years for carrying out the procedure. However, a woman who has an abortion would not be held criminally liable, and abortion in cases where the mother's life is at serious risk are allowed. (Source: BBC / 16 May 2019)
May 14 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has issued the Guiding Principles on Business Continuity for capital market entities to enhance the systemic resiliency of the capital market. It sets out the SC’s expectations of the business continuity management approach of capital market entities to ensure timely continuity of critical services and the fulfilment of business obligations in the event of disruptions. (Source: The Sun Daily / 14 May 2019)
May 14 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Fatwa Committee of Singapore issued a fatwa, which recognised the agreement of Muslims who co-own a property in Singapore under a joint tenancy contract as religiously valid. This means that when one of the owners dies, the surviving owner can automatically absorb the former's share of the property - known as the right of survivorship - without having to present additional paperwork. (Source: Straits Times / 14 May 2019)
May 13 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysia is proposing a legislation to regulate the collection and distribution of perishable and near-expiry food for onward distribution to those in need. The said proposed legislation or the ‘Good Samaritan Bill’ will comprise three components to protect all those involved in food rescue efforts. (Source: The Sun Daily / 13 May 2019)
May 11 2019 |
Legal NewsThe U.S. Justice Department had charged former Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and wealthy Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, popularly known as "Jho Low," for conspiring to steer illegal foreign campaign funds into the 2012 presidential election, where Jho Low had directed the transfer of approximately USD21.6 million from foreign entities and accounts to Michel to be funneled into the U.S. election while disguising it as legitimate campaign contributions. (Source: The Star / 11 May 2019)
May 09 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) (Amendment) 2018 bill was approved in Dewan Negara. The amendment among others would enable all religious schools, tahfiz centres and Islamic kindergartens in the Federal Territories to be registered and supervised. It would also enable the religious council to take legal action including directing the closure of any tahfiz centre, if any problem took place. (Source: The Sun Daily / 9 May 2019)
May 09 2019 |
Legal NewsThe United Nations will remove Malaysia from the list of signatories of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) following Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s announcement that Malaysia would not ratify the treaty. (Source: The Star / 9 May 2019)
May 08 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the amended Penal Code of Singapore, judges will be required to escalate serious cases of hurt or harassment to the police, even if the victims have not sought the police's help and are seeking only protection orders from the court. This is part of the responsibilities of the new Protection from Harassment Court, which would be established as set out in the amended Protection from Harassment Act (Poha). (Source: Straits Times / 8 May 2019)
May 07 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the new Singapore’s Penal Code, people who commit any crimes against vulnerable people, such as young children, maids and the disabled, can be arrested by the police even without a warrant and if found guilty, their punishment can be twice the maximum penalty, compared with 1.5 times previously for some offences. (Source: Straits Times / 7 May 2019)
May 07 2019 |
Legal NewsThe minimum age at which a person is criminally responsible for his actions in Singapore will be raised from seven to ten, following Parliament's approval of the new Criminal Law Reform Bill. This law reform was made to strike a balance between protection of the public and fairness to young children who may not be able to understand the consequences of their action. (Source: Straits Times / 7 May 2019)
May 03 2019 |
Legal NewsFederal Court judge Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s illustrious career reached a new high point after she was appointed as the new Chief Justice, the first woman to take on the role. (Source: The Star / 3 May 2019)
May 02 2019 |
Legal NewsA new set of e-payment guidelines in Singapore are making reckless e-payment users fully liable for unauthorised transactions if they cannot prove they have taken steps to protect themselves. (Source: Straits Times / 2 May 2019)
May 02 2019 |
Legal NewsBaker McKenzie has launched new internal policies of flexible work (bAgile) and family care (Family Leave) to break down barriers to healthier work-life balance and inequality in parental leave. (Source: Global Legal Post / 2 May 2019)
Apr 26 2019 |
Legal NewsAttorney-General (AG) Tommy Thomas today said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the supreme commander of the armed forces will not be held responsible for the decision made by the prime minister, the cabinet and defence ministry regarding war declaration. Thus, if Malaysia commits a war crime, the people who are vulnerable to ICC (International Criminal Court) prosecution will be the prime minister, the Cabinet, the minister of defence, the generals but never the King because he is a constitutional monarch. (Source: BBC / 26 April 2019)
Apr 26 2019 |
Legal NewsThe government and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) are working to ease the terms and conditions for housing loans without affecting the stability of the financial system. The Ministry of Finance would take action if it were to receive any report from developers on housing loan applications being rejected without strong justifications. (Source: The Sun Daily / 26 April 2019)
Apr 25 2019 |
Legal NewsDomestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) Enforcement Division director has confirmed that effective this month, individuals arrested on suspicion of being involved in the selling of counterfeit goods worth more than MYR30,000 will be remanded and charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, and compounds would no longer be issued for such offences. (Source: BERNAMA / 25 April 2019)
Apr 25 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Negeri Sembilan State Assembly passed an amendment to the bill related to the Islamic Family Law Enactment (Negeri Sembilan) (Amendment) 2019. The amendment is aimed at empowering and enforcing the Islamic laws further. (Source: BERNAMA / 25 April 2019)
Apr 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Court of Three Judges (‘the Court’) yesterday dismissed the appeal of orthopaedic surgeon Kevin Yip Man Hing (‘Dr Yip’)against a conviction of professional misconduct and had increased Dr Yip's suspension by three months to eight months. The court said in its judgment that the most aggravating factor in the case was that Dr Yip had displayed "complete disregard for the patient's welfare and interest". (Source: Straits Times / 24 April 2019)
Apr 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe students in the UK will learn about how developments will change the role of judges and lawyers, as well as increase the potential for access to justice for litigants through an innovative degree which combines 'top-100 education' with firm partnership to help future lawyers prepare for new technology and online courts. (Source: Global Legal Post / 24 April 2019)
Apr 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134) will be amended to provide absolute power for the Orang Asli community to appoint and sack their Tok Batin (headmen). The Orang Asli community no longer sees the power bestowed on ministers in the appointment and removal of their headmen, as provided under Section 16 (1) and Section 16 (2) of the Aboriginal Peoples’ Act, as appropriate. (Source: New Straits Times / 23 April 2019)
Apr 18 2019 |
Legal NewsIreka Corp Bhd (Ireka) has served a notice of arbitration against UEM Sunrise Bhd’s wholly owned subsidiary UEM Land Bhd (UEM) on disputes and differences arising from the contract finalisation of a project in Johor Baru seeking reliefs and/or remedies against UEM which include declarations of final account in the amount of MYR29.25 million, further extension of time or time at large, loss and expense awards, interest and costs. (Source: The Sun Daily / 18 April 2019)
Apr 16 2019 |
Legal NewsWhistleblowers across the European Union have won greater protection under the new landmark legislation aimed at encouraging reports of wrongdoing. The new law shields whistleblowers from retaliation and creates "safe channels" to allow them to report breaches of EU law. (Source: BBC / 16 April 2019)
Apr 15 2019 |
Legal NewsThe East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project will finally be re-started, with several changes in Malaysia’s favour which includes increased participation by Malaysian companies, the operating and maintenance costs will be split evenly with China, and some money paid in advance to China will be returned to Malaysia. (Source: The Sun Daily / 15 April 2019)
Apr 15 2019 |
Legal NewsPrestariang SKIN Sdn Bhd (PSKIN) has filed a legal claim totaling MYR732 million from the Malaysian government for the termination of the MYR3.5 billion National Immigration Control Systems (SKIN) project via expropriation after PSKIN and the government were unable to reach an amicable settlement despite multiple rounds of negotiations. (Source: The Sun Daily / 15 April 2019)
Apr 15 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the new rules proposed by the UK's data watchdog, Facebook and Instagram will face limits on letting under-18s "like" posts on their platforms while Snapchat could be prevented from allowing the age group to build up "streaks”. “Likes” help build up profiles of users' interests while “streaks” encourage them to send photos and videos daily and both of these tools encourage users to share more personal data and spend more time on apps than desired. (Source: BBC / 15 April 2019)
Apr 10 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the proposed amendments to the National Security Council Act, the power of the Prime Minister to declare a security area will be removed and will rest in the hands of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the National Security Council. (Source: The Star / 10 April 2019)
Apr 09 2019 |
Legal NewsIn a landmark decision, a nine-man Federal Court Bench ruled out that Bank Negara's Syariah Advisory Council (SAC) on Islamic finance is constitutional and binding on civil courts even though the Council is not a judicial body. (Source: The Star / 9 April 2019)
Apr 09 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the current divorce laws, one spouse has to allege adultery or unreasonable behaviour by the other for divorce proceedings to start straight away. Justice Secretary David Gauke said that under the new changes, they will only have to state that the marriage has broken down irretrievably and stop one partner refusing a divorce if the other one wants one and will eventually end the ‘blame game’ in divorce cases. (Source: BBC / 9 April 2019)
Apr 06 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysia has decided to withdraw from Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the decision was made collectively at the Cabinet meeting. The decision is stemming from confusion arising politically and within society, and not because the Statute is harmful to the country. (Source: The Sun Daily / 6 April 2019)
Apr 06 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court nine-man bench struck down the use of “double presumptions” provision under section 37A of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 (DDA) to secure the conviction of an accused person charged for drug trafficking in a landmark ruling. The Federal Court declared section 37A of the DDA is unconstitutional as it violated Article 5 (1) read with Article 8 (1) of the Federal Constitution. (Source: The Sun Daily / 6 April 2019)
Apr 04 2019 |
Legal NewsUnder the Australia’s new law, social media companies can be fined up to 10 per cent of their annual global turnover and imprison executives for up to three years if violent content is not removed “expeditiously”. The new law is in response to a lone gunman's attack on two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, killing 50 people as they attended Friday prayers. (Source: The Straits Times / 4 April 2019)
Apr 02 2019 |
Legal NewsNational Housing Department’s proposed Residential Tenancy Act is targeted for implementation in two years’ time to boost the residential rental market. The act will assist in determining the affordable rental rate based on location, as well as laws to protect both tenants and owners. (Source: New Straits Times / 2 April 2019)
Apr 01 2019 |
Legal NewsJapan is setting a legal cap on long work hours to change its notorious overwork culture that has caused sickness and deaths via a labor reform law. The cap, which only targets major companies for now, limits overtime work to 45 hours a month and 360 hours a year in principle. The monthly cap can be extended in busy periods, for up to six months a year. (Source: Japan Times / 1 April 2019)
Apr 01 2019 |
Legal NewsSingapore introduced new measures to tackle the spread of fake news as part of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill that will require online news sites to publish corrections or warnings on fake news, or even remove such articles in extreme cases. (Source: The Straits Times / 1 April 2019)
Mar 29 2019 |
Legal NewsFacebook introduced new rules to tackle political ads appearing on Facebook in EU countries whereby it requires EU advertisers to be authorised in their country to run ads related to the European Parliamentary elections. The political ads that appear on Facebook will be labelled to identify the advertiser, alongside information about who they are, how much they paid and who they targeted. (Source: BBC / 29 March 2019)
Mar 27 2019 |
Legal NewsGoogle has launched a global advisory council consists of eight people and includes former US deputy secretary of state, and a University of Bath associate professor to offer guidance on ethical issues relating to artificial intelligence, automation and related technologies. (Source: BBC / 27 March 2019)
Mar 26 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Ilustre Colegio de Abogados (‘ICAM’) has launched the Espacio Abogacía, a co-working centre for lawyers in Madrid as a new initiative to offer lawyers co-working space and mediation facilities in the heart of Madrid's judicial quarter at low cost. (Source: Global Legal Post / 26 March 2019)
Mar 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Seremban International Golf Club (‘SIGC’) has decided to revoke its decision to not serve and sell beer at the 18-hole with immediate effect, after members successfully challenged and voted against the decision of the club management during an extraordinary meeting attended by 135 members and chaired by state secretary and club deputy president. (Source: The Star / 24 March 2019)
Mar 22 2019 |
Legal NewsIn a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Genting Malaysia Bhd’s indirect wholly owned subsidiary Genting UK Plc is disposing of its entire stake in Coastbright Limited to Sonco UK BidCo Limited for GBP34.6 million (about MYR185 million) cash and is expected to realise a gain arising from the disposal. (Source: The Sun Daily / 22 March 2019)
Mar 22 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Global Blockchain Business Council (‘GBBC’), an industry association for the blockchain ecosystem, has announced the launch of its Legal and Regulatory Group (‘LRG’) to tackle the blockchain legal and regulatory landscape. (Source: Global Legal Post / 22 March 2019)
Mar 21 2019 |
Legal NewsGroup of experts in France are studying the tokenisation of real estate in response to the la loi Plan d’Action pour la Croissance et la Transformation des Entreprise (PACTE), an action plan for business growth and transformation, and the National Assembly reports on the usage of blockchain. (Source: The Global Legal Post / 21 March 2019)
Mar 21 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Housing and Local Government Ministry would place priority in strengthening guidelines on the issuance of licences to factories, especially those involved in the handling of chemicals to reinforce the monitoring operation of usage and disposal of scheduled chemical waste. (Source: The Star / 21 March 2019)
Mar 19 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Communications and Multimedia Ministry, through its Personal Data Protection Department is currently reviewing the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2010 to ensure that it is in line with new developments in the field of data protection to make PDPA compatible with new regulations on data protection introduced globally, such as in the European Union (EU). (Source: The Global Legal Post / 19 March 2019)
Mar 17 2019 |
Legal NewsA Special Marriages, Hadhanah (child custody) and Nafkah (maintenance) court which has the authority to confiscate the property of a man who has failed to provide for his ex-wife is now in the final process of getting the views of various parties on its administration, before it is tabled to the Cabinet in May. (Source: The Sun Daily / 17 March 2019)
Mar 15 2019 |
Legal NewsRussian lawmakers have enact new legislation to introduce the concept of ‘digital rights’ in Russian legislation, with the addition of a new article 141.1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and have also approved a package of bills introducing fines of up to 1.5 million rubles (USD22,900) for distributing fake news on the Internet. (Source: Global Legal Post / 15 March 2019)
Mar 14 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) will get cracking on online traders by making sure that they display all product details, before finalising transactions to ensure that consumer rights are better protected. (Source: The Sun Daily / 14 March 2019)
Mar 13 2019 |
Legal NewsThe government has decided that mandatory death penalty in the country will be abolished, and would instead give discretionary powers to judges in sentencing only offences currently carrying the mandatory death penalty. This would affect nine offences under the Penal Code and a further two offences under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971. (Source: The Sun Daily / 13 March 2019)
Mar 12 2019 |
Legal NewsThe implementation of e-Review and video conferencing services allow the lawyers and stake holders to save time and cost to the parties involved in a case in court and this will allow them to manage their cases easier, faster and more efficient. (Source: The Sun Daily / 12 March 2019)
Mar 12 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) has launched the Singapore Construction Mediation Centre (SCMC) to provide more options for disputing construction companies to seek mediation instead of undergoing expensive and time-consuming court proceedings. (Source: The Straits Times / 12 March 2019)
Mar 08 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Ministry of Prime Minister’s Department has confirmed that Cabinet will take a major step towards the implementation and compliance of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) by agreeing to amend Article 1 (2) of the Federal Constitution to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Peninsular Malaysia. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 March 2019)
Mar 07 2019 |
Legal NewsChina’s telecommunications equipment and services provider, Huawei, has filed a lawsuit against the US government for failing to provide evidence to support the ban that has restricted the federal agencies from using Huawei products over national security concerns. (Source: BBC / 7 March 2019)
Mar 06 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Yavapai County Attorney of Arizona stated in a public letter that there was “no basis” for criminal liability for Uber Technologies Inc. in a fatal crash involving one of the company's self-driving cars that has struck and killed a pedestrian in 2018. It further stated that the conduct of the back-up driver, Rafael Vasquez, should be referred to the police for additional investigation. (Source: The Straits Times / 6 March 2019)
Mar 04 2019 |
Legal NewsMalaysia has signed the instrument of Accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court, with the objective to end impunity against the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. (Source: Bernama / 4 March 2019)
Mar 04 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Family Justice Courts (FJC) of Singapore is looking at setting up the first Seniors' Court with elderly-friendly features that provide facilities suitable for their needs to ensure that no citizen is denied access to justice in response to the ageing population in the country. (Source: The Straits Times / 4 March 2019)
Mar 02 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will table amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1994 in Parliament to enable the construction site owners and architects to be held responsible for incidents at their construction sites as currently, only contractors are being held responsible even though they had to complete the work within the stipulated time. (Source: Bernama / 2 March 2019)
Feb 27 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court allowed an ex-parte application for leave by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas to initiate contempt proceedings against a lawyer, Arunachalam Kasi for scandalising judges of the Federal Court in two articles published on the Aliran online portal in reference to an affidavit of Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abu Backer on alleged judicial misconduct. (Source: The Sun Daily / 27 February 2019)
Feb 27 2019 |
Legal NewsSouth Africa has announced the establishment of a special tribunal of eight justices to swiftly recover monies and assets lost by state institutions through irregular and corrupt means which will fast-track recovery and ensure accountability. (Source: Global Legal Post/27 February 2019)
Feb 26 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court judge has ruled no claim should be struck out without a trial "as long as there are issues of fact and law that need to be proven" in the case of a Hong Kong-based Qroi company, which provides technical services to mobile operators in Singapore, who sued the managing partner Ian Pascoe and Grant Thornton Advisory Services for alleged non-payment for services delivered. (Source: The Straits Times / 26 February 2019)
Feb 26 2019 |
Legal NewsPolice have arrested a married couple, a 50-year-old Indonesian man with a permanent resident identity card and his wife, 49, also from Indonesia for the murder of an Indonesian man whose body was found at the construction site of the Perak Centre police district headquarters (IPD) in Seri Iskandar in 2001. (Source: The Sun Daily / 26 February 2019)
Feb 24 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Health Ministry would be tabling a proposal and policy to make immunisation vaccination compulsory in the country to the ministry's post-cabinet meeting for effective control vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria and neonatal tetanus amongst children. (Source: New Straits Times/24 February 2019)
Feb 20 2019 |
Legal NewsSheffield Hallam University in England takes Alternative Business Structure (ABS) innovation to heart by launching student law firm, called SHU Law (‘the firm’). The firm is a fully regulated law firm designed to give students real live work experience during their studies by way of incorporating work-experience into the core curriculum of its undergraduate Law and Law and Criminology degrees, and its post-graduate LLM. (Source: Global Legal Post / 20 February 2019)
Feb 19 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry has lifted the ban on bauxite mining in Pahang and has stated that the industry has potential and is highly profitable. The mining activities will resume in April. (Source: The Star / 19 February 2019)
Feb 19 2019 |
Legal NewsThe suit by former Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah against the Inspector-General of Police and the government for her wrongful detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) in 2016, was settled with MYR25 thousand in damages. (Source: The Star / 19 February 2019)
Feb 18 2019 |
Legal NewsThe UK report (‘the report’) on fake news' demands for a compulsory code of ethics to put an end to inadequate self-regulation. The report calls for tech companies to be regulated by an independent regulator which will be given powers to launch legal action against companies breaching code, amongst others. (Source: Global Legal Post / 18 February 2019)
Feb 16 2019 |
Legal NewsThe judiciary has filed a police report through an affidavit following allegations made by Court of Appeal judge Datuk Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer of a purported scam involving top judiciary officials to defraud the government. (Source: The Sun Daily / 16 February 2019)
Feb 14 2019 |
Legal NewsSouth African President, Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Competition Amendment Bill into law to strengthen regulations against anti-competitive behaviour in industrial markets but local lawyers are not convinced about when and how the new law will be enforced. (Source: Global Legal Post / 14 February 2019)
Feb 14 2019 |
Legal NewsUS investment bank JP Morgan has created a crypto-currency to be backed by a major US bank, JPM Coin. The crypto-currency, which runs on blockchain technology helps to settle payments between the bank and clients in its wholesale payments business. (Source: BBC / 14 February 2019)
Feb 12 2019 |
Legal NewsAfter McDonald's lost the Big Mac trademark with Supermac's, an Irish fast-food chain in the European Union, Burger King in Sweden revamped its menu in a snarky hat-tip to the rival fast-food chain. Burger King featured menus with Big Mac comparisons, including: "The Kind of Like a Big Mac, but Juicier and Tastier" and "The Big Mac-ish but Flame-Grilled Of Course." (Source: The Straits Times / 12 February 2019)
Feb 12 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore State for Law Ministry has streamlined the requirements in the Precious Stones and Precious Metals (Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Bill where it requires the dealers to register with the Law Ministry and carry out stricter checks on their clients. (Source: The Straits Times / 12 February 2019)
Feb 09 2019 |
Legal NewsLawyer Datuk Shaharudin Ali is challenging the legitimacy of the Election Commission (EC) to function since the EC currently consists of only a single man, namely its chairman Azhar Azizan Harun. The lawyer filed a lawsuit to declare the commission as “non-existent”, invalid and illegal under Article 114 of the Federal Constitution. (Source: The Sun Daily / 9 February 2019)
Feb 08 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Malaysian Employers Federation has confirmed that employees that were found guilty of faking a degree to gain employment or promotion are at risk of getting fired by their employers on the ground of misconduct. (Source: The Star / 8 February 2019)
Feb 08 2019 |
Legal NewsA US Federal appeals court has postponed the execution of a Muslim inmate in Alabama, Domineque Ray, after the state refused to allow his imam to be present at his death. His lawyers argued that the state infringed on his religious rights by denying his request for an imam over a chaplain during the execution. (Source: BBC / 8 February 2019)
Feb 07 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court has set aside a SGD10 million default judgment against an Australian-Chinese tycoon, Wang Zhi Cai, after he failed to appear in court for the alleged casino debts suit brought forward by Marina Bay Sands (MBS). His appeal to enter defence and contest the case in a court trial was allowed by the same court. (Source: The Straits Times / 7 February 2019)
Feb 02 2019 |
Legal NewsA landmark MYR3 billion financial programme comprising MYR2 billion sukuk musharakah IMTN programme and a MYR1 billion sukuk murabahah Islamic commercial papers (ICP) programme has been successfully established by EXSIM Development Group through its special-purpose financial vehicle, Exsim Capital Resources Bhd. (Source: New Straits Times / 2 February 2019)
Jan 31 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court has ruled out that subsequent publication of the contents of a police report by its maker to the public is not protected by the defence of absolute privilege, save where the contents of the report were made in or in connection with judicial proceedings. Thus, a person who lodges a police report could be held accountable for defamation if he or she repeats the contents of the report to the public. (Source: The Star / 31 January 2019)
Jan 31 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has amended its Guidelines on Recognised Markets (‘the Guidelines’) to ensure that digital assets are not used for money laundering and illegal activities by introducing new requirements for electronic platforms that facilitate the trading of digital assets. Additionally, digital assets operators must be locally incorporated with a minimum paid-up capital of RM5 million upon commencing operations and any other additional financial requirements as necessary. (Source: The Sun Daily / 31 January 2019)
Jan 30 2019 |
Legal NewsBangladesh has filed a lawsuit in New York against a Philippine bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) over its involvement in one of the biggest-ever cyber heists where unidentified hackers stole USD81 million from the Bangladesh central bank's account with the US Federal Reserve in New York in February 2016. (Source: The Straits Times / 30 January 2019)
Jan 29 2019 |
Legal NewsThe “Pro-Tem Pertahankan Hak Perokok” (PHP or Smokers Right Club) obtained leave from the High Court to initiate judicial review proceeding to challenge the smoking ban at all eateries as they claimed that the smoking ban enforced by the Health Ministry is a breach of the Federal Constitution on the basis that smoking is not a criminal activity, and it is legally valid. (Source: The Sun Daily / 29 January 2019)
Jan 29 2019 |
Legal NewsThe dispute involving trade dress and copyright infringement claims surrounding the design of the USD4 billion (MYR16.7 billion) Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) project between Genting Bhd’s indirect wholly owned subsidiary RWLV and Wynn Resorts Holdings have reached a settlement agreement with RWLV agreeing to make changes in its design. (Source: The Sun Daily / 29 January 2019)
Jan 26 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) said that documents issued through its online system used by the people are legally binding and there is no basis to doubt its validity since all certified true copy (CTC) are valid and certified like the documents stored in SSM register. (Source: The Star / 26 January 2019)
Jan 24 2019 |
Legal NewsSingapore has released a model governance framework on artificial intelligence (AI). The framework is intended to provide detailed and readily implementable guidance to private-sector organisations using AI. (Source: Business Times / 24 January 2019)
Jan 23 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in the United States is challenging the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s ‘gag order’ in the Federal Court. The ‘gag order’ is a routine condition of settling civil or administrative actions with defendants agreeing to a promise that they will never publicly contest, challenge, or deny any of the allegations the SEC has made against them, even after the case has been settled. (Source: Global Legal Post / 23 January 2019)
Jan 23 2019 |
Legal NewsA Singaporean lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocate has filed a case against the Attorney-General challenging the validity of Section 377A of Singapore’s Penal Code on the ground that the criminalisation of sex between men is "inconsistent" with portions of Singapore's Constitution, namely Article 9 on liberty of the person, Article 12 on equal protection and Article 14 on freedom of speech, assembly and association. (Source: The Straits Times / 23 January 2019)
Jan 23 2019 |
Legal NewsAirAsia Group Bhd and its affiliate AirAsia X Bhd has filed a statement of defence against Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd (MASSB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) in relation to the suit filed against them over the passenger service charges (PSC) collection at klia2. Air Asia contended that the claim by MASSB is misconceived, invalid and/or premature as MASSB has not complied with and/or availed itself of the statutory provisions for dispute resolution within the Malaysian Aviation Commission Act 2015 (Mavcom Act). (Source: The Sun Daily / 23 January 2019)
Jan 23 2019 |
Legal NewsFox Entertainment Group LLC, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp and FoxNext LLC (collectively known as FOX) filed a counterclaim at the United States District Court seeking US$46.4 million (MYR191.7 million) from Genting Malaysia Bhd (GENM) for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing after GENM sued FOX for terminating their contract to develop a Fox-branded theme park at Resorts World Genting in Malaysia. (Source: The Sun Daily / 23 January 2019)
Jan 17 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Human Resources Ministry has released guidelines for private sector employees published by the Labour Department and Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim)allowing Muslim staff members to spend at least 20 minutes daily to perform their prayers and recommended for them to be given an hour-and-a-half off for Friday prayers. (Source: The Star / 17 January 2019)
Jan 17 2019 |
Legal NewsInternet celebrities and other individuals, including minors, who earn income more than RM5,000 a month from paid reviews, brand endorsements and businesses conducted via the social media are categorised as a profession, thus subject to income tax under the purview of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB). (Source: BERNAMA / 14 January 2019)
Jan 16 2019 |
Legal NewsRobyn Rihanna Fenty, or Rihanna, has filed a lawsuit in the US Federal Court in Los Angeles against her father, Ronald Fenty, and his two business partners of fraud and false advertising over his Fenty Entertainment talent and production company for trading on her Fenty brand name by inferring that a business venture he set up in 2017 is associated with her. (Source: Global Legal Post / 16 January 2019)
Jan 14 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Capital Markets and Services (Prescription of Securities) (Digital Currency and Digital Token) Order 2019, which has come into force on 15 January 2019, states that digital currencies and digital tokens (collectively known as digital assets) will be prescribed as securities and will be regulated by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). Any person offering an initial coin offering or operating a digital asset exchange without authorization from SC may be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to MYR10 million. (Source: The Sun Daily / 14 January 2019)
Jan 11 2019 |
Legal NewsKentucky, USA introduced a new bill which makes it a felony for doctors to perform an abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which may be as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. (Source: Global Legal Post / 11 January 2019)
Jan 09 2019 |
Legal NewsLawyer Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram argued that Article 74(1) of the Federal Constitution empowered Parliament to only make laws and not to declare laws. He further argued that the Parliament has exceeded its legislative power when an amendment to a provision in the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (DDA) to secure the conviction of a person charged with drug trafficking has been approved by the Parliament. (Source: New Straits Times / 9 January 2019)
Jan 09 2019 |
Legal News“Right to repair” is a legislation underway in Europe and the US towards saving carbon emissions and to promote the use of resources more wisely. The “right to repair” consists of a series of proposals from European environment ministers to force manufacturers to make goods like lighting, televisions and large home appliances to last longer and are easier to mend by users. (Source: New Straits Times / 9 January 2019)
Jan 08 2019 |
Legal NewsBoustead Plantations Bhd with Bursa Malaysia had filed a writ of summons and statement of claim on SP Setia Bhd’s Setia Fontaines Sdn Bhd for breach of a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) involving a land deal in Penang related to a refund under the Goods and Services Tax Act, 2014 owed to Boustead Plantations. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 January 2019)
Jan 07 2019 |
Legal NewsPeople involved in an employment dispute in Singapore will now be able to file their claims online instead of having to go to the State Courts. The online dispute claims will also allow them to resolve their disputes on the go, through new online negotiation and mediation services. (Source: Business Times / 7 January 2019)
Jan 07 2019 |
Legal NewsA new regulation has taken effect in Saudi Arabia in which Saudi courts will notify women via text message when they get divorced by their husbands. This regulation aims to curb the rampant cases of men secretly ending marriages without informing their wives. The women will also be able to view documents related to the termination of their marriage contracts through the justice ministry’s website. (Source: The Straits Times / 7 January 2019)
Jan 04 2019 |
Legal NewsSarawak has announced that the state will remain its decision to impose 5% sales tax on petroleum products in its state when tabling the state budget in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly despite reservations from the federal government. (Source: The Star / 4 January 2019)
Jan 04 2019 |
Legal NewsA US judge has rejected Ed Sheeran’s application to drop the legal suit against him brought forward by the estate and heirs of the late producer Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. The lawyer representing the Marvin Gaye estate claims that Ed Sheeran’s hit song, Thinking Out Loud was a rip off of Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. (Source: BBC / 4 January 2019)
Jan 02 2019 |
Legal NewsCartier International, a French jewelry giant lost a trademark battle with MoneyMax Jewellery in Singapore for its stylised ‘love’ trademark against the latter’s bid to register its trademark "Love Gold" under the Singapore Trade Marks Act. Registrar Mark Lim Fung Chian stated that there cannot be a monopoly on using the word "love" and it should be freely used by traders in the jewellery business. (Source: The Straits Times / 2 January 2019)
Jan 01 2019 |
Legal NewsThe Sales and Services Tax (SST) will be expanded to include companies providing services such as amusement park operations, securities brokerage and underwriting, cleaning services, and training provision with a total value of more than MYR50,000 per annum, effective March 2019. (Source: The Sun Daily / 1 January 2019)
Dec 29 2018 |
Legal NewsChina's new Intellectual Property (IP) Court (“the IP Court”) that comes under the top-level Supreme People's Court will primarily hear IP appeal cases starting this year. The establishment of the IP Court is to better safeguard intellectual property rights as intellectual property violations are a long-time concern of the United States and a source of friction between the two countries. (Source: The Straits Times / 29 December 2018)
Dec 28 2018 |
Legal NewsSingapore, a party to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) has submitted its first report on the said treaty to the United Nations. The report submitted contains six broad areas in which it is working to end racial discrimination - and the concrete measures it is taking. These include legislation to safeguard racial and religious harmony, policies to foster social integration, and programmes that mobilise the community to work for the common good. (Source: The Straits Times / 28 December 2018)
Dec 27 2018 |
Legal NewsGenting Group (“Genting”) is facing a lawsuit from American company, Wynn Las Vegas (“Wynn”). Wynn accused Genting’s casino project, Genting Group’s Resorts World Las Vegas (“RWLV”) of being similar in terms of the architectural design of the Wynn Resort hotel which is located opposite of the RWLV. The lawsuit lists five counts namely, federal trade dress infringement, unfair competition and false designation of origin, federal trademark dilution, state trademark dilution, and copyright infringement. (Source: The Star / 27 December 2018)
Dec 25 2018 |
Legal NewsThailand’s parliament voted to amend the Narcotic Act of 1979 (“the Act”) to approve cannabis for medical use. However, recreational use will remain illegal. The amendment to the Act will allow consumers to carry specified amounts necessary for medicinal purposes, provided that they have a prescription or a recognised certificate. (Source: BBC / 25 December 2018)
Dec 24 2018 |
Legal NewsThe latest amendment to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Act, which came into force on 15 December 2018 states that any marriage contracted under civil law must be dissolved in the civil court even if one of the spouses has converted to Islam. The amendment also emphasises the civil court’s exclusive jurisdiction for marriage contracted under the civil law. (Source: New Straits Times / 24 December 2018)
Dec 23 2018 |
Legal NewsChina's legislature is considering a new “unified law” governing foreign investment to replace three existing laws on Chinese and foreign equity joint ventures, non-equity joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises. This new law will streamline existing rules and prevent the forced transfer of technology. (Source: The Straits Times / 23 December 2018)
Dec 20 2018 |
Legal NewsWashington DC's top prosecutor is suing Facebook for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The former accused Facebook of allowing the wholesale scraping of personal data on tens of millions of users and includes privacy and security missteps. (Source: BBC / 20 December 2018)
Dec 19 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Children and Young Persons (Employment) (Amendment) Bill 2018 (“the Bill”) which was approved in the Dewan Negara will be extended to Sabah and Sarawak through amendments to the Labour Ordinance (Sabah Chapter 67) and the Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Chapter 76) in 2019. (Source: Bernama / 19 December 2018)
Dec 18 2018 |
Legal NewsA US appeals court (“the Court”) in California dismissed a lawsuit by the family of five-year-old Moriah Modisette, who died from injuries in a car crash involving a man who was using FaceTime on the iPhone 6. The Modisette family alleged that Apple was responsible for the accident as the "lockout" technology which utilises technology to detect motion and disable certain functions when driving was not available on the iPhone 6, hence deemed “defective”. The Court held that Apple did not owe a duty of care to the Modisette family and that it cannot be established that Apple’s design of the iPhone constituted a proximate cause of the injuries they suffered. (Source: BBC /18 December 2018)
Dec 15 2018 |
Legal NewsA key part of America’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) or better known as Obamacare, was ruled as unconstitutional by a federal judge in the US state of Texas. It was argued that the law was invalidated by a change in tax rules last year which eliminated a penalty for not having health insurance. (Source: BBC / 15 December 2018)
Dec 12 2018 |
Legal NewsAmendments to the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (“the Act”) will take effect in 2019. The Act, which allows the authorities to detain and supervise criminal suspects without trial has been recently been amended to include secret society activities, unlicensed money lending, drug trafficking and offences under the Organised Crime Act. (Source: The Straits Times / 12 December 2018)
Dec 11 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Parliament will table a Sexual Harassment Bill (“the Bill”) that aims to make it easier to charge the sexual harassers in court next year. It is acknowledged that the burden of proof of beyond reasonable doubt to charge these harassers with insulting a person’s modesty under Section 509 of the Penal Code is too high, hence the need for the new Bill. (Source: The Star / 11 December 2018)
Dec 11 2018 |
Legal NewsA bill to amend the Civil Law Act 1956, particularly Section 7(2) which allows disabled individuals to sue for damages over loss of dependency following the death of those who had looked after them has been tabled for first reading at the Dewan Rakyat. (Source: New Straits Times / 11 December 2018)
Dec 11 2018 |
Legal NewsSection 66 (nn) of the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed in a unanimous vote in Dewan Rakyat. The amendment allows local authorities to remove abandoned vehicles within townships and cities nationwide in order to increase road safety and improve management and enforcement of traffic within cities. (Source: New Straits Times / 11 December 2018)
Dec 10 2018 |
Legal NewsUniversity students will achieve freedom to be involved in politics on campus following amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971, Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 and the Educational Institutions (Discipline) Act 1976, which sees an end to the ban on students of higher education institutions to be involved in political parties in campus were unanimously passed at the Dewan Rakyat. (Source: The Sun Daily / 10 December 2018)
Dec 05 2018 |
Legal NewsThe State Legislative Assembly has passed the Syariah Court (Perak) Enactment 2018. Perak will be the first state in the country to have four levels of syariah courts, with the Supreme Court as the apex court. The establishment of the Syariah Supreme Court aims to uplift and empower the structure, administration and credibility of the state’s syariah judicial institution. (Source: New Straits Times / 5 December 2018)
Dec 04 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has slapped a MYR160,000 fine on both AirAsia Bhd and AirAsia X Bhd for advertising misleading ticket prices in its advertisements and promotions places across the Internet, as well as on their respective websites under the non-compliance of subparagraph 3(1) of the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC). (Source: Bernama / 4 December 2018)
Dec 04 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court (“the Court”) has ordered a condo unit owner to restore the original design of the balcony area after ruling that her renovations breached condo rules and affected the building’s overall façade and uniformity. The Court further clarified that though the works were carried out within the unit she wholly owns, it does not give her full control of the unit as there community interests to be considered. (Source: The Straits Times / 4 December 2018)
Dec 03 2018 |
Legal NewsAggrieved home owners who sued game company Niantic, creator of the famous game, Pokemon Go, have a reached a settlement with the latter. It was claimed that virtual Pokemon were put on their property without permission and claimed that the game constituted a "continuing invasion". (Source: BBC / 3 December 2018)
Dec 02 2018 |
Legal NewsThe abolition of the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1952 (“the Act”) will not affect local workers as the abolition of the Act is to safeguard the welfare of foreign workers in the country in terms of insurance coverage which is also in line with the Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation) Convention 1925 (No. 19) and the Conference committee on the Application of Standards under the International Labour Organisation (ILO). (Source: The Sun Daily / 2 December 2018)
Nov 28 2018 |
Legal NewsMah Sing Group Bhd has joined forces with e-commerce platform Lazada Malaysia to become the first to offer properties online in Southeast Asia. (Source: Bernama / 28 November 2018)
Nov 27 2018 |
Legal NewsGenting Malaysia Bhd is suing Twenty-First Century Fox Inc and The Walt Disney Co for more than USD1 billion (MYR4.19 billion) for the termination of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) relating to the development of a Fox-branded theme park at Resorts World Genting in Malaysia. (Source: The Sun Daily / 27 November 2018)
Nov 26 2018 |
Legal NewsChief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum has proposed a time limit of 20 minutes for oral submissions and to highlight the “killer points” first instead of mentioning them towards the end in order to promote effective submissions and expedite court proceedings. (Source: New Straits Times / 26 November 2018)
Nov 24 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Pakatan Harapan government has decided not to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) amid rising protests by opponents who claimed that the United Nations human rights agreement would jeopardise the special rights of Malays and bumiputra in the country. (Source: The Star / 24 November 2018)
Nov 23 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Bar Council of England and Wales is extending the scheme and new app that allows practising legal professionals direct entrance to courts without the need to be searched to five additional courts as part of the professional court user entry scheme. (Source: Global Legal Post / 23 November 2018)
Nov 22 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore International Commercial Court will hear its first legal dispute involving the cryptocurrency bitcoin between an electronic market maker, B2C2 and cryptocurrency exchange operator, Quoine over a "unilateral reversal" of seven orders on its platform. The court has to decide whether a number of trades done in April last year had been wrongfully reversed and whether proceeds were being deducted without authorisation. (Source: The Straits Times / 22 November 2018)
Nov 21 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Government, starting 2020, will be able to collect GST on overseas services from 2020 via the Singapore Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill that was recently passed. Overseas vendor registration regime will be imposed on business-to-consumer services, including video streaming, apps, listing fees on electronic marketplaces, software and online subscription fees. However this only applies to companies with an annual global turnover above SGD1 million and makes more than SGD100 thousand in providing digital services to Singapore. (Source: The Straits Times / 21 November 2018)
Nov 21 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore Employment Act (EA) that protects workers' rights has undergone a major transformation to include all private-sector employees. The said changes include, rights such as paid sick leave, mandatory annual leave of seven to 14 days, protection against wrongful dismissal and the removal of salary cap of SGD4,500 a month. (Source: The Straits Times / 21 November 2018)
Nov 20 2018 |
Legal NewsA Quebec father, Antonio Bramante is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against McDonald's, alleging that the company's Happy Meals violate the province's strict youth consumer protection laws against advertising to children under 13 years of age. (Source: BBC / 20 November 2018)
Nov 19 2018 |
Legal NewsIn order to better protect borrowers, new rules which sets an aggregate loan cap under the Moneylenders (Amendment) Act 2018 and Moneylenders (Amendment) Rules 2018 (“the New Rules”) has been introduced. The New Rules will come into force on 30 November 2018. (Source: The Straits Times / 19 November 2018)
Nov 16 2018 |
Legal NewsThe family of a passenger killed when a Lion Air flight crashed into the sea near Indonesia are suing the US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, over an alleged fault in failing to inform pilots and airlines of a feature with its new 737 Max plane system that could "push the nose down unexpectedly". (Source: BBC / 16 November 2018)
Nov 13 2018 |
Legal NewsThe European Court of Justice has ruled that the taste of a food cannot be protected by copyright, on the ground that the taste of food was too "subjective and variable" for it to meet the requirements for copyright protection. (Source: BBC / 13 November 2018)
Nov 12 2018 |
Legal NewsThe government plans to introduce a system that allows the Syariah Judiciary Department to claim from the husband's Employees Provident Fund or bank accounts to pay alimonies to their ex-wives upon the decision of the Syariah Court. The aim is to assist divorced women whose irresponsible ex-husbands refused to pay for their alimonies. (Source: The Sun Daily / 12 November 2018)
Nov 11 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) have developed a delivery versus payment (DvP) capabilities which allows simultaneous exchange of tokenised assets on different blockchain platforms for securities. This helps simplify post-trade processes and shorten settlement cycles. (Source: The Sun Daily / 11 November 2018)
Nov 10 2018 |
Legal NewsIn light of the increase in the number of fake degrees, the Education Ministry has launched the University Degree Issuance and Verification System, based on the blockchain technology, to authenticate genuine certificates called ‘e-Scroll’. (Source: The Star / 10 November 2018)
Nov 09 2018 |
Legal NewsA 69 year old Dutchman, Emile Ratelband (‘Emile’), has initiated a legal action to change his birthdate from 11 March 1949 to 11 March 1969 that will make him 20 years younger to boost his dating prospects. Emile argued that he feels discriminated against because of his real age, and that it was affecting his employment chances and his success rate on the dating application, Tinder. (Source: BBC / 9 November 2018)
Nov 08 2018 |
Legal NewsBank of Japan's fintech study group concluded that any regulation needs to consider the legal nature of a cryptocurrency depending on its design and characteristics which includes the economic analysis of fintech's impact on the financial system and central bank policy, the design of legal and regulatory frameworks, and, the robustness of these technologies. (Source: Global Legal Post / 8 November 2018)
Nov 08 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal in Singapore decided that in divorce cases where one party is given the option to take over the other's share of the matrimonial property, mortgage payments should be borne by the eventual owner of the property since the payment of any outstanding mortgage would solely benefit that person. (Source: The Straits Times / 8 November 2018)
Nov 05 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Court of Appeal has granted leave to appeal to the Federal Court to decide on the issue of whether or not the Prime Minister is a public officer and whether the definition of ‘public officer’ should be confined to what is stated in the Interpretation Act 1948 and the Federal Constitution. The case involved the lawsuit against former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and the Government over the alleged misfeasance in public office. (Source: The Sun Daily / 5 November 2018)
Nov 05 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Girl Scouts of the United States of America have filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America after the latter announced that they would rename the ‘Boy Scouts of America’ to ‘Scouts BSA’ as this change could erode their brand and cause confusion. They are seeking damages and an injunction against trademark breaches. (Source: BBC / 5 November 2018)
Nov 02 2018 |
Legal NewsThe fate of more than 900 conscientious objectors who refused to serve the mandatory service in South Korea’s armed forces is expected to change after the Supreme Court acquitted a man who refused to serve in the military because of his religious beliefs. (Source: The Straits Times / 2 November 2018)
Nov 01 2018 |
Legal NewsHong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued its first set of regulations governing cryptocurrencies with an aim of making the city a major trading center for virtual assets. The SFC will also adopt new regulatory measures, such as the imposition of licensing conditions, to protect those investing in virtual asset portfolio or funds. (Source: Global Legal Post / 1 November 2018)
Oct 31 2018 |
Legal NewsA former secondary school student in rural Sabah is suing her teacher for not teaching English in her Form Four class back in 2015 which caused her to fail her English subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations. She claimed that the absence of the teacher was a denial of her rights and her classmates as it was the teacher’s duty to teach. (Source: The Star / 31 October 2018)
Oct 30 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court overturned an earlier decision by a district judge to include compensation awarded for pain and suffering in the pool of assets to be divided between husband and wife after a divorce as this is not acquired by a spouse's efforts during marriage. (Source: The Straits Times / 30 October 2018)
Oct 26 2018 |
Legal NewsThe proposal to have a minimum marriage age limit of 18 years old for both men and women, Muslims or non-Muslims has been presented to the Conference of Rulers. Malaysia has a unique administration system whereby the state and the federal government is different and each state has been vested with the powers to set the conditions for marriage. (Source: New Straits Times / 26 October 2018)
Oct 25 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Human Resource Ministry is in the midst of making it possible for foreign workers to be covered under the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to ensure they receive the same benefits as local workers. This is in line with the resolution under the International Foreign Workers Organisation which requires every country to have uniform benefits for local and foreign workers. (Source: The Sun Daily / 25 October 2018)
Oct 25 2018 |
Legal NewsBar Council has introduced Group Law Practice (GLP) as one of its initiative to help lawyers from small firms such as sole proprietorship and small partnerships to increase competitiveness and reduce its operating costs by allowing them to operate under one roof as part of the Bar Council’s reforms. (Source: The Star / 25 October 2018)
Oct 25 2018 |
Legal NewsGoogle has fired 48 employees in the past two years, including 13 senior executives, as a result of sexual harassment allegations, citing "an increasingly hard line" on inappropriate conduct in response to a New York Times report that it had covered up claims of sexual harassment. (Source: BBC / 25 October 2018)
Oct 24 2018 |
Legal NewsThe system of recruiting foreign workers through agents or companies will be abolished and taken over by the Human Resource Ministry via Private Employment Agencies (APS) which will be outsourced by the ministry to more than 100 companies. The move is to ensure the intake of foreign workers is better managed according to existing regulations and laws. (Source: New Straits Times/ 24 October 2018)
Oct 22 2018 |
Legal NewsUber has decided to appeal independently from Grab against the decision of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) that its merger with Grab had driven up prices and violated the city-state's competition laws and on the ground that the CCCS’s claims were "unsupported and incorrect". (Source: The Sun Daily / 22 October 2018)
Oct 17 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Dewan Rakyat has passed the Children and Young Persons (Employment) (Amendment) Bill 2018 (‘the Bill’) which aims to improve protection for the group in employment and to ensure the labour laws of the country were in line with international standards especially the conventions of International Labour Organization (ILO). (Source: BERNAMA / 17 October 2018)
Oct 17 2018 |
Legal NewsThose whose sentences have been commuted from death penalty to 30 years life imprisonment following the proposed abolishment of the death penalty punishment in Malaysia will have to serve out their full jail term running from the date the pardons board commutes their death sentences to life imprisonment. (Source: The Star / 17 October 2018)
Oct 17 2018 |
Legal NewsCanada became the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis, making it the world’s second and largest country with a legal national marijuana marketplace. Under the new law, adults will be able to buy cannabis oil, seeds and plants and dried cannabis from licensed producers and retailers, and to possess a maximum of 30 grams of dried cannabis in public. Selling of cannabis to a minor will also incur imprisonment of up to 14 years. (Source: BBC / 17 October 2018)
Oct 16 2018 |
Legal NewsAudi, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, had to pay a fine of EUR800 million issued by German prosecutors to close a diesel cheating investigation for deviations from regulatory requirements in certain V6 and V8 diesel aggregates (motors) and diesel vehicles. The fine was on top of total costs in fines, buybacks and refits of more than EUR27 billion over its ‘dieselgate’ scandal. (Source: New Straits Times / 16 October 2018)
Oct 15 2018 |
Legal NewsThere will no longer be smoking-designated corners inside the Parliament building, which has now been declared as smoke-free. The decision follows a directive which bans smoking at all restaurants, food outlets and hawker stalls which will take effect Jan 2019. (Source: The Sun Daily / 15 October 2018)
Oct 12 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Supreme Court in Washington has abolished the death and ruled that the punishment was applied in an "arbitrary and racially biased manner". Washington is the 20th US State to ban death penalty. (Source: BBC / 12 October 2018)
Oct 11 2018 |
Legal NewsDeveloper BHL Construction Sdn Bhd and several house buyers has been granted leave to appeal by the Federal Court on five questions on law relating to their right. The case concerned the right to be heard of house buyers before developers were given more time to complete their projects. (Source: The Star / 11 October 2018)
Oct 10 2018 |
Legal NewsCivil activist Jolovan Wham and opposition politician John Tan are the first to be found guilty under new contempt of court laws after their Facebook posts had impugned the integrity and impartiality of the Singapore courts that had posed a risk to the public’s confidence in the administration of justice in Singapore. (Source: The Straits Times / 10 October 2018)
Oct 09 2018 |
Legal NewsThere has been calls for Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to be reverted to its original state which gave Sabah and Sarawak equal partnership with Malaya before the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) can be fully implemented. (Source: The Daily Express / 9 October 2018)
Oct 08 2018 |
Legal NewsSection 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987 will be reviewed to introduce a life-long driving ban and to provide harsher punishments to drivers who cause deaths while on the road. It was stated that the current maximum 10 year imprisonment sentence and three-year suspension of licence were inadequate. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 October 2018)
Oct 08 2018 |
Legal NewsThe process to repeal the controversial Sedition Act is on track and expected to take place at the next sitting of Parliament as confirmed by the Communications and Multimedia Minister, Gobind Singh Deo. (Source: The Sun Daily / 8 October 2018)
Sep 27 2018 |
Legal NewsRide-hailing firm Uber will have to pay USD148 million (MYR612.7 million) to settle legal action brought by the US government and 50 states over its failure to disclose details of the data loss during a cyber-attack that exposed data from 57 million customers and drivers in 2016. (Source: BBC / 27 September 2018)
Sep 27 2018 |
Legal NewsIndia’s Supreme Court has ruled that adultery is no longer a criminal offence after a petition was made out to the Supreme Court claiming the law as arbitrary and discriminatory against men and women. The previous adultery laws dictates that women could not be punished as an abettor and that men were considered to be a seducer instead. Women were also not allowed to file a complaint against an adulterous husband. (Source: BBC / 27 September 2018)
Sep 27 2018 |
Legal NewsIn a landmark ruling, the Federal Court held that public authorities at federal and state levels can sue individuals for defamation. The case concerned the filing of a defamation suit against Chong by the Sarawak government and the state Financial Authority over allegations of disappearing money which was published in a Chinese national daily and a news portal distributed by him. (Source: THE STAR / 27 September 2018)
Sep 25 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore fined Uber Technologies Inc (‘Uber’) and Grab with a combined amount of SGD13 million (MYR39.4 million) for antitrust violations after the Asian ride-hailing giant acquired its US rival’s regional operations and concluded that their merger in March had driven up prices. (Source: THE STAR / 25 September 2018)
Sep 25 2018 |
Legal NewsThe European Union (EU) has referred Poland to the EU court of justice following the passing of a new controversial law which lowers the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 70 to 65 years of age. This would result in the requirement of 27 out of the 72 sitting Supreme Court judges to retire. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 25 September 2018)
Sep 20 2018 |
Legal NewsThe High Court of Singapore has dismissed a woman's bid to use WhatsApp messages from her deceased husband as evidence to support her claim that he had wanted all his Central Provident Fund (CPF) money to go to their two sons. It was held that a CPF member's funds must be bequeathed through nominations or distributed via intestacy laws. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 20 September 2018)
Sep 19 2018 |
Legal NewsThe cabinet has agreed to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 as the latter is the age of adulthood in Malaysia and it is deemed as an age to take full responsibility of one's actions, such as being eligible to sit for the driving examination, marriage or to sign contracts. The decision of the cabinet to lower the voting age will be part of other amendments being studied for a more transparent and fair election in the country. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 19 September 2018)
Sep 19 2018 |
Legal NewsThe International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor has commenced a preliminary probe into Myanmar's alleged crimes of killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and "hard to fathom" levels of violence against the Rohingya Muslims for possible prosecution of genocide. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 19 September 2018)
Sep 18 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the former chief executive officer (CEO), Mr. Cheo, of a social media company called Netccentric, who accused his co-founder, Mr. Tiah, of "betrayal" on the ground that there was no evidence to support Mr Cheo's claim that Mr Tiah had agreed to let him remain as Netccentric's CEO for three years. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES/ 18 September 2018)
Sep 16 2018 |
Legal NewsIn reversing the Shah Alam High Court’s ruling, the Court of Appeal has granted a Buddhist businessman the sole guardianship of his children who were unilaterally converted by the former wife without his knowledge and consent on the ground that that the action of the ex-wife unilaterally converting the children to Islam itself was not done in the best interests of the children. (Source: THE STAR / 16 September 2018)
Sep 13 2018 |
Legal NewsThe move to repeal the controversial Anti-Fake News Act (“the Act”) will be delayed for at least one more year as the proposal to repeal the Act was rejected at the last Dewan Negara sitting. (Source: THE STAR / 13 September 2018)
Sep 12 2018 |
Legal NewsIn a landmark ruling, the High Court of Singapore has allowed KordaMentha, the liquidators of a mobile phone operator company, Trikomsel, to proceed with a commercial third-party funding arrangement to obtain financial support from Australia-listed litigation funder IMF Bentham for investigations and potential claims. This confirms that commercial funding of claims arising out of an insolvency is permitted in Singapore. (Source: BUSINESS TIMES / 12 September 2018)
Sep 12 2018 |
Legal NewsUser-generated content, such as memes and parodies are affected as the new copyright laws that require all internet platforms to filter content placed online by users and forces online platforms to pay news organisations for the use of their content have been approved by members of the European Parliament. (Source: BBC / 12 September 2018)
Sep 11 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Bill (‘the Bill’), which aims to strengthen debt restructuring regimes and regulate insolvency practitioners by consolidating personal and corporate insolvency and debt restructuring laws into a single piece of legislation, has been tabled in the Singapore Parliament. (Source: BUSINESS TIMES / 11 September 2018)
Sep 06 2018 |
Legal NewsWide-ranging review of the Singapore Penal Code that aim to better protect women, minors and other vulnerable people has been tabled by a review committee to the Singapore Government. The proposal includes protection on minors from sexual predators, enhanced punishment for crimes committed against children, domestic maids and adults with disabilities, as well as proposals to update the 150-year-old Penal Code with new laws to tackle emerging crime trends, such as voyeurism. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 6 September 2018)
Sep 05 2018 |
Legal NewsThe new national minimum wage for workers in the private sector has been set at MYR1,050 per month, or MYR 5.05 per hour effective 1 January 2019. The current minimum wage is MYR1,000 in Peninsular Malaysia and MYR920 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 5 September 2018)
Sep 04 2018 |
Legal NewsSection 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) which deals with the improper use of network facilities or network service and section 211 of the CMA that prohibits the publication of offensive content on the Internet will be amended as they are deemed to be very broad. (Source: THE STAR / 4 September 2018)
Sep 03 2018 |
Legal NewsSection 70 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) amendments will be tabled at Parliament in October and expected to be enforced next year. It will enable local authorities (PBT) to periodically regulate buildings and premises located in sloping areas by making it mandatory to prepare a geotechnical report on every development in areas involving slopes of over 25 degrees and an altitude of over 10 metres and must verified by certified inspectors registered with the Malaysian Board of Engineers to ensure safe building structures. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 3 September 2018)
Sep 03 2018 |
Legal NewsFounders of social media influencer network Nuffnang, Cheo Ming Shen and Timothy Tiah, are currently engaged in legal proceedings against each other with Cheo accusing Tiah of "betrayal" when Cheah alleged that he was forced out as CEO of Nuffnang's parent company Netccentric. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 3 September 2018)
Sep 03 2018 |
Legal NewsRatings agency Moody's appeal against the Securities and Futures Commission’s (SFC), which regulates Hong Kong's securities, futures markets and regulatory proceedings has been dismissed by Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal. These proceedings relate to a report issued by the company in 2011 in which the SFC had alleged that the report violated the regulatory body’s code of conduct. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 3 September 2018)
Aug 30 2018 |
Legal NewsLoob Holding Sdn Bhd of Tealive and La Kaffa International Co Ltd of Taiwan of Chatime have reached an out-of-court settlement to resolve their franchise disputes. Both parties have agreed to withdraw all proceedings in Malaysian courts and arbitration in Singapore. (Source: THE STAR / 30 August 2018)
Aug 28 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Malaysian judiciary created history when a nine-member Federal Court bench chaired by the Chief Justice of Malaysia Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, convened for the first time to determine the constitutionality of a Shariah Advisory Council’s (SAC) ruling which purportedly binds the Civil High Court in a commercial dispute. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 28 August 2018)
Aug 28 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, has given his consent to implement the Sales and Services Tax (SST). The SST will come into force from 1 September 2018, replacing the abolished Goods and Services Tax (GST). (Source: BERNAMA / 28 August 2018)
Aug 24 2018 |
Legal NewsAn American Muslim woman has sued the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (“the agency”) over the seizure of her smartphone for 120 days. It was alleged that the search and seizure of the smartphone had violated her rights under the Fourth Amendment as there was neither probable cause nor a warrant to search the phone. (Source: BBC / 24 August 2018)
Aug 24 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Inland Revenue Board (IRB) is being investigated for Criminal Breach of Trust under section 409 of the Penal Code for alleged misappropriation and misuse of taxpayers’ money following the huge amount of outstanding tax refunds due to taxpayers. (Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES / 24 August 2018)
Aug 24 2018 |
Legal NewsProctor & Gamble has applied to trademark (“the applications”) the popular acronyms such as the terms “LOL” (Laugh Out Loud) and “NBD” (No Big Deal) with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The applications however have yet to be approved. (Source: BBC / 24 August 2018)
Aug 23 2018 |
Legal NewsThe ‘Blockchain Law Society’, which was set up by a group of South Korean blockchain experts, draws on experts from legal bodies, universities and other industry specialists in order to study the legal aspects of the new technology and to develop legislation for regulating blockchain which can be applied to the diverse areas of the economy and society. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 23 August 2018)
Aug 23 2018 |
Legal NewsUS tech giant Apple has failed to stop Swiss watch giant, Swatch, from registering "Tick Different" as a trademark, because of the conceptual, visual and aural dissimilarities with Apple’s registered trademark, “Think Different”. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos) has allowed Swatch to register “Tick Different” on the ground that the average consumer would conclude that the marks are more dissimilar than similar. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 23 August 2018)
Aug 20 2018 |
Legal NewsAfter a five-year custody tug-of-war between the parents, the Court of Appeal in Singapore reversed a High Court decision and ordered a six-year-old boy to remain in the care and control of his Singaporean father instead of his Mongolian mother in London. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 20 August 2018)
Aug 17 2018 |
Legal NewsThe new South African Films and Publications Amendment Bill looks to empower the Film and Publication Board to facilitate the removal of child pornography wherever it is published by criminalising the possession of child pornography by the public. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 17 August 2018)
Aug 16 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Swedish labour court ruled that the company that ended a Muslim woman’s interview when she declined to shake the hand of a male interviewer for religious reasons had discriminated against her and ordered the company to pay 40,000 kronor (USD4,350) in compensation. (Source: BBC NEWS / 16 August 2018)
Aug 14 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Human Resource Ministry has made it compulsory for employers to advertise job vacancies in their companies on the JobsMalaysia portal to give priority to the hiring of local workers in the wake to overcome the epidemic of hiring foreign workers over local workforce. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 14 August 2018)
Aug 14 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Filipino Congress has approved a Bill to organise and regulate Islamic banks in the country, a material step in its long financial inclusion journey towards building a sustainable Shariah financial system for its Muslim minority to organize and regulate Islamic banks in the country. (Source: PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY / 14 August 2018)
Aug 13 2018 |
Legal NewsA California jury had held, in a landmark suit against the agricultural giant, Monsanto, that its herbicides including Roundup had caused a school groundkeeper to suffer lymphoma cancer. Monsanto was ordered to pay USD289 million in compensatory and punitive damages. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 13 August 2018)
Aug 11 2018 |
Legal NewsChildcare facilities needs to be made mandatory in an effort to retain women in the workforce as reiterated by the Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister. The setting up of childcare centres must be prioritised and will be made mandatory to all ministries by 2019. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 11 August 2018)
Aug 09 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and ride-hailing service provider, Grab Malaysia, has signed a memorandum of understanding in order to encourage the ride-hailing driver-partners community to participate in the Caruman Sukarela Insentif Persaraan (i-Saraan), a voluntary retirement savings programme by EPF. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 9 August 2018)
Aug 09 2018 |
Legal NewsIndia has passed the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018 which now criminalises the act of paying bribes to government officials by both businesses and individuals. Those found guilty may be subjected to up to 7 years imprisonment. The amendment was made in order to widen the scope of those may be criminalised amid the rise in corruption cases in India. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 9 August 2018)
Aug 07 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Ministry of Finance Singapore has imposed a levy on stamp duties for electronic records that effect a transfer of interest in immovable properties and shares in accordance with its new Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill 2018. No changes were made to tax rates or rules on property buyers and sellers. (Source: BUSINESS TIMES / 7 August 2018)
Aug 06 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court Chief Registrar’s Office was preparing to expand the Special Court for Sexual Crimes Against Children (“the Court”), which focuses on cases such as child pornography, child grooming and child sexual assault, to Selangor, Pahang and Johor. The Court has been in operation in Putrajaya since June 2017 and in Kuching, Sarawak since 18 April 2018. (Source: BERNAMA / 6 August 2018)
Aug 03 2018 |
Legal NewsApple was ordered to pay Canadian company WiLan USD145 million in damages for a patent infringement. The two patent infringements involved the ‘method and apparatus for bandwidth request protocols in a wireless communication system’ and ‘adaptive call admission control for use in a wireless communication system’. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 3 August 2018)
Aug 01 2018 |
Legal NewsA superior court of Quebec has ordered a cyber-scammer to a pay a fine in cryptocurrrency - 470 PlexCoin tokens, worth around USD3.7 million, or be sentenced to imprisonment. The case involved one Mr. Dominic Lacroix, a businessman, who had launched an initial coin offering on social media to fund a digital token startup called PlexCoin, which was later identified as a crypto-currency scam. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 1 August 2018)
Aug 01 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Communications and Multimedia Ministry, in expressing the importance of Internet access is proposing a Bill to make it compulsory for all new housing projects to be installed with Internet facility. Under the proposed Bill, internet facility will be categorised as a utility, similar to electric and water supply. (Source: BERNAMA / 1 August 2018)
Jul 31 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts has announced that it is partnering with the “smart Dubai” initiative to set up the world’s first ‘Court of the Blockchain’. The aim of the alliance is to explore how Blockchain can aid verification of court judgments for cross-border enforcement, which includes streamlining the judicial process, removing document duplications and driving greater judicial efficiency across the legal ecosystem. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 31 July 2018)
Jul 30 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Malay Rulers at the Pre-Council of the 249th Conference of Rulers have consented to the formation of a high-level panel on the Federal institutions of Islam including the legal and judicial Syariah agencies to safeguard the position of Islam in Malaysia as provided for in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution. (Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES / 30 July 2018)
Jul 27 2018 |
Legal NewsAn appeal by the National Registration Department (NRD) and two others against a ruling by the Court of Appeal that a Muslim child conceived out of wedlock can bear his father’s surname instead of “Abdullah” will be reheard afresh by the Federal Court in October. This is in line with the newly-appointed Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum’s directive that all Federal Court cases pertaining to constitutional issues be heard by a nine-man bench instead of the previous five-man bench. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 27 July 2018)
Jul 26 2018 |
Legal NewsA lawsuit against US President Donald Trump for the alleged violation of the US Constitution by still maintaining a financial interest in his company's Washington hotels whilst still in office has moved forward to the next stage. The US federal judge, had construed the word “emoluments” under the Foreign and Domestic Emolument Clauses in a broader manner, which included any profits, including those gained from private transactions. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 26 July 2018)
Jul 25 2018 |
Legal NewsA single entity to oversee the provision of affordable homes will be established by year end to replace the current six agencies namely: 1Malaysia People's Housing Programme (PR1MA), UDA Holdings Bhd, Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd, Federal Territories Affordable Housing (Rumawip), Housing Project for the Hardcore Poor (PPRT) and the 1Malaysia Housing Project for Civil Servants (PPA1M) for streamlined management. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 25 July 2018)
Jul 24 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Prime Minister’s Department has proposed to table a Bill in Parliament towards enacting the Religious and Racial Hatred Act, in order to protect religious and racial sensitivities from insults in the wake of increasing cases of religious insults and racial slurs which are making their rounds on social media. (Source: THE STAR / 24 July 2018)
Jul 23 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Bar Council and the Rules Committee will engage with The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to abolish Order 53 Rule 3(3) of the Rules of the Court 2012. The AGC will dispense with the requirement of service of cause papers to the Chambers in concurrent with application for leave not later than three days before the hearing date as the majority of judicial review matters do not concern the public and is private in nature. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 23 July 2018)
Jul 21 2018 |
Legal NewsAfter months of campaigning by human rights activists in India, the government has finally abolished its 12% tax on all sanitary products after the tax was introduced about a year ago. (Source: BBC / 21 July 2018)
Jul 19 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court in a landmark ruling has issued an order in favour of the Motion Picture Association of America, which allows any Web address linked to blocked piracy websites to be blocked too The ruling targets a common method used by piracy website owners which allows users sidestep blocked content by using alternative Web addresses. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 19 July 2018)
Jul 17 2018 |
Legal NewsThe finance ministry has confirmed that the government will impose a 6% tax under the reintroduced sales and services tax (SST), and a 10% tax on the sale of goods which will be implemented starting 1 September 2018. (Source: THE STAR / 17 July 2018)
Jul 16 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court has granted Tealive operator, Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, a stay of execution to temporarily stop the injunction granted by the Court of Appeal against it by Taiwanese Tea company, La Kaffa International Co Ltd. La Kaffa has initially sought the injunction to stop Loob Holding from operating a business similar to the Chatime bubble tea brand. (Source: THE STAR / 16 July 2018)
Jul 14 2018 |
Legal NewsThe newly formed Pakatan Harapan government has pushed the Attorney General’s Chambers to review all ongoing sedition cases that was prosecuted during the governance of the previous BN government to uphold the new policy of the current government that promoted freedom of speech and expression of the people. (Source: THE STAR / 14 July 2018)
Jul 13 2018 |
Legal NewsPharmaceutical giant company Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay damages amounting to USD4.7 billion to 22 women alleged to have develop ovarian cancer from using its baby powder and talc products. (Source: BBC / 13 July 2018)
Jul 12 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Oil Mining (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed by the Sarawak State Assembly which requires only one licence for exploration, prospecting and mining of oil and gas, replacing the previous requirement to have three licenses under the Oil Mining Ordinance 1958. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 12 July 2018)
Jul 12 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Native Customary Rights (NCR) in Sarawak has been further strengthened under the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018 (“the Bill”). The Bill will ultimately improve the land administration and reinforce the statutory safeguards for native customary rights to land. (Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES / 12 July 2018)
Jul 11 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore High Court has ruled that damages awarded to any party should be included in the matrimonial assets pool if the said damages is received during the marriage. It was held that the compensation sum was a matrimonial asset because it was neither a “gift” nor an “inheritance” as defined under the Women’s Charter. (Source: THE STRAITS TIMES / 11 July 2018)
Jul 11 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) has proposed a MYR17.4 million fine to Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd for allegedly breaching Section 10(1) read with Section 10(2)(c) of the Competition Act 2010 for abusing its position as a monopoly in the provision of trade facilitation services under the National Single Window. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 11 July 2018)
Jul 10 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Parliament in Singapore has passed the Small Claims Tribunals (Amendment) Bill which increases the default claim limit from $10,000 to $20,000, and up to $35,000 upon agreement if the parties involved. Duration for making a claim is also extended to two years from the original one year. This allows parties to settle their claims before the tribunal at a lesser cost. (Source: SINGAPORE LAW WATCH / 10 July 2018)
Jul 06 2018 |
Legal NewsIn parallel with UK’s status quo as the global legal centre, the country is ready to make big investment is to tackle today’s age of crimes such as cybercrime and fraud. (Source: GLOBAL LEGAL POST / 6 July 2018)
Jul 06 2018 |
Legal NewsGrab’s acquisition of American’s Uber has rendered as contravening the Competition laws as stated by the Competition and Consumer commission of Singapore (CCCS). (Source: SINGAPORE LAW WATCH / 6 July 2018)
Jul 05 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Lawyers for Liberty claimed that the gag order by the judge in the Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) trial of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak breached the Federal Constitution and that judges do not have powers to issue such orders. It I stated that Article 10 of the Federal Constitution stipulates the right to freedom of speech and expression, which also includes the freedom of the press. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 5 July 2018)
Jul 02 2018 |
Legal NewsThe marriage between an 11 year-old-girl with a 41-year-old-man is deemed illegal. This is because according to the Islamic Family Law Enactment, the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 for a male and 16 for a female. Those under the legal minimum age may be permitted to marry only when they attain the consent of the syariah court and their parents. There has been calls for the Child Act 2016 and the Islamic Family Enactment to be amended to raise the minimum marriage age for women from 16 to 18. (Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES / 2 July 2018)
Jul 01 2018 |
Legal NewsEight of the government’s agencies that was previously operating independently from the government has been restructured to be reporting directly to the Parliament. This is the newly elected government’s move to restore checks and balances within the administrative structure and management. (Source: THE SUN DAILY / 1 July 2018)
Jun 01 2018 |
Legal NewsLex Quanta, founded by four law students, has developed a simulator which predicts division of matrimonial property by computing factors through an algorithm...
Jun 01 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) can now hear any proceedings relating to international commercial arbitration as the High Court under the International Arbitration Act...
Jun 01 2018 |
Legal NewsSecurities Commission Malaysia (SC) has issued a direction for an initial coin offering (ICO) in Malaysia to cease its launch and other related activities...
Jun 01 2018 |
Legal NewsThe Federal Court in Mat Suhaimi bin Shafiei v Kerajaan Malaysia, has quashed a Court of Appeal ruling that intention must be proven in every sedition case...