On August 4, 2022, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as the Chair of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), formally published the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. The Entity list is a consolidated register of the four lists required to be developed and maintained pursuant to Section 2(d)(2)(B) of the UFLPA. DHS also released details on seeking changes to the UFLPA Entity List, including requests for removal from the list. For our previous blog entries on the UFLPA and its implementation, see posts here, here, here, here, here and here. UFLPA requires the Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to apply a rebuttable presumption that goods mined, produced, or manufactured by entities on the UFLPA Entity List are made with forced labor, and therefore, are prohibited from importation into the United States under 19 USC 1307.…
Tag: news related to law
Hungary slams hefty fine on bookstore chain over LGBTQ2S+ graphic novel, says it violated law
BUDAPSEST, Hungary – A government office in Hungary on Thursday levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ2S+ graphic novel, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors. The bookseller, Lira Konyv, is Hungary’s second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12 million forints (US$35,930) for placing the popular “Heartstopper” by British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section, and for failing to place it in closed packaging as required by a 2021 law. The Budapest Metropolitan Government Office, which issued the consumer protection fine, told the state news agency MTI that it had conducted an investigation into the store’s selling of the title.…
SPCA wants Quebec to greater protection for farm animals with new law
The SPCA is calling on the province to pass a law protecting the health and welfare of farm animals. The industry currently regulates itself with codes of practice, but the group says that’s not good enough. A video produced by the Montreal SPCA calls on the government to include farm animals in the province’s Animal Welfare and Safety Act. “A lot of people believe that animals on farms are actually protected by animal welfare laws that are in existence right now, and that’s not the case. Those laws specifically exclude animals that are on farms,” said Anthony Johnson, the Montreal SPCA’s executive director .…
Canada’s Online News Act Targets Facebook and Google
The Canadian Parliament has passed a law that will require technology companies to pay domestic news outlets for linking to their articles, prompting the owner of Facebook and Instagram to say that it would pull news articles from both platforms in the country. The law, passed on Thursday, is the latest salvo in a push by governments around the world to force big companies like Google and Facebook to pay for news that they share on their platforms — a campaign that the companies have resisted at virtually every turn. With some caveats, the new Canadian law would force search engines and social media companies to engage in a bargaining process — and binding arbitration, if necessary — for licensing news content for their use.…
Victims claim gender discrimination in the application of sex crime laws
WARNING: This article contains details of abuse Leslie McMillan still remembers the night she dragged her intoxicated friend, Ali, out of their high school music teacher’s hotel room. “She’s lying on his bed, on her back, totally passed out, pants undone,” recalled McMillan. “I knew in my gut what had happened.” It was May 1987 and they were on a school trip to Montreal. Ali was in Grade 11 and the teacher was near mid-life, married with children. What happened that night remained unreported until last fall when Ali, now 53, went to York Regional Police to report what she believed was sexual exploitation and assault.…
Can your Will be Challenged after you die? Contesting a Will and Family Provision Applications Explained
A common question that is asked is whether estranged family members or step-children may be able to challenge their entitlements under a will. Although challenging the will usually comes after death, it is important for anyone making a will to understand: who is entitled to challenge a will; and whether the challenger may be successful This will assist a maker to understand the implications when drafting their will. How to Challenge a Will If a person intends to challenge their entitlement, or lack thereof, under someone’s will then they will make a Family Provision Application to the Court. Not everyone can make a Family Provision Application and Queensland succession laws restricts who is entitled to make such an Application via the following three categories: the deceased’s spouse (not just a husband and wife, it can also be a de facto partner or the deceased’s former husband or wife or partner); the deceased’s child (biological, unborn at the date of death, adopted or step-child); and a dependent of the deceased (this includes anyone who has been wholly or substantially maintained by the deceased at the date of death but common examples include the deceased’s parent or a parent of the deceased’s child).…
China upping its ‘exit bans’ on citizens and foreign business people
Breadcrumb Trail Links World News There are now 15 laws on the books in China that provide for the use of exit bans, with five laws either added or amended this year Published May 02, 2023 • Last updated 1 week ago • 4 minute read In April, China amended its Counter-espionage Law, allowing for exit bans on anyone under investigation. Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images Article content China says it’s now open for business following years of implementing a “COVID-zero” policy, but recent reports indicate that the country has been increasing “exit bans,” both for citizens and foreign executives. Advertisements 2 This advertisement has not been loaded yet, but your article continues below.…
UFLPA Enforcement Remains Work in Progress
US Customs and Border Protection’s (“CBP”) implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”) remains a work in progress, as importers work to mitigate shipment detentions and respond to UFLPA reviews and enforcement actions. Emerging best practices may guide stakeholders as they navigate these uncertainties. Develop a Due Diligence System Due diligence systems allow companies to proactively evaluate forced labor risks within their supply chains through comprehensive information gathering and robust risk assessments, which can mitigate the legal and reputational consequences of forced labor. To establish a due diligence system, a company should: Continuously collect information on Tier 1 – Tier 3 suppliers, to maintain comprehensive supply chain traceability; Incorporate robust geographic and product-relevant risk assessments; Develop policies that are responsive to the company’s unique risk profile and aligned with international standards; and, Proactively monitor for future risks.…