Defamation law reform – protecting the public interest and a new requirement of 'serious harm'

Managing the balance between freedom of expression and the right to protect a person's reputation has been an ongoing battle for centuries, with many varied approaches having been taken across different jurisdictions. The digital age has raised new and complex issues – can an emoji be defamatory, for example.

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The legacy lingers on: "Legacy employers" to retain access to flexibility measures under JobKeeper 2.0

The Coronavirus Economic Response Package (JobKeeper Payments) Amendments Bill 2020, dubbed "JobKeeper 2.0", is set to drastically cut the number of businesses eligible for the JobKeeper wage subsidy, when it takes effect from 28 September 2020. After last minute changes to the JobKeeper 2.0 legislation, passed last week, newly-ineligible employers will maintain access to some workplace flexibility measures.

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Hey Director! What’s your DIN?

On 12 June 2020 the Federal Government passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Bill 2019 (Bill). This Bill establishes a new lifetime registration regime for directors, under which every director is assigned a unique identifier known as a Director Identification Number (DIN) that will remain with that individual for all directorships.

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Are you purchasing shares or units in a landholding trust or company? Beware!

In NSW when you buy land, you pay duty. When you buy shares in a company or units in a trust, you can also pay duty at land rates where the company or trust is considered a ‘landholder’. The NSW Government has now made it more likely that the acquisition of shares or units will be subject to duty at land rates, and also made it easier for them to collect that duty.

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