GL Insights
Changes to witnessing documents in NSW
The NSW Government have temporarily suspended requirements for documents to be witnessed in person, in light of COVID-19. Legislation passed last week (Electronic Transactions Amendment (Covid-19 Witnessing of Documents) Regulation 2020) allows certain legal documents to be witnessed by way of audio visual link. This means that NSW residents no longer need to leave their …
Read more
Director identification numbers coming our way…
It has been discussed for some years now, but the Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Bill 2019 is finally before Parliament and in fact, is currently before the Senate. The aim of the Bill, in part, is to introduce director identification numbers and reduce phoenixing activity. Phoenxing activity occurs when, as the …
Read more
The Debt Recovery Process
At Griffin Legal we act in debt recovery matters for a diverse range of large and small clients from a variety of industries and backgrounds. This article focuses on the debt recovery process in the ACT. Demand Phase The first stage of debt recovery involves taking detailed instructions in relation to the debt, the debtor’s …
Read more
Changes to Annualised Salaries under Modern Awards
From 1 March 2020, the Fair Work Commission has introduced new requirements for the payment of Annualised Salaries under Modern Awards. These changes will increase the obligations on all employers who pay their employees an annualised salary under a relevant Modern Award. These changes impact on any additional hours an employee works, and how they …
Read more
Risk of defamation for businesses with a Facebook page
In Australia, the concept of free speech, although not enshrined in our Constitution, is a fundamental principle that many individuals seek to exercise. However, this principle is not a licence to make statements that ruin a person’s reputation in the eyes of the community. The case of Voller v Nationwide News Pty Ltd.; Voller v …
Read more
New Year, New Will 2020!
A new Will may not be the first thing on your new year’s resolution list, however, it is very important to consider. If you do not have a Will or your circumstances substantially changed in 2019, the fresh new year is a good time to organise your estate planning. An outdated Will can be as …
Read more
Copyright law in the age of Social Media
Australia’s copyright laws, enshrined in the Copyright At 1968 (Cth)(the Act) are designed to protect original, tangible material. For example, you can protect things like artistic or literary work, articles, photographs, maps, broadcasts and other pieces of multimedia. Despite there being no registration scheme in Australia like there is for trademarks, copyright material is said …
Read more
IoT’s out there! Are you ready?
Carly: How was your run this morning? Jane: How did YOU know I ran this morning? Carly: Don’t you remember? You shared all your health data with me. I get alerts every time your heartrate goes above 120! Jane: I did what?!? Had Jane read the Privacy Policy from the company behind her fitness app, …
Read more
New Law – Broader coverage of the Secure Local Jobs Code
From 7 November 2019, businesses that want to provide services worth more than $200,000 to the ACT Government must have a Code Certificate and Labour Relations, Training and Workplace Equity Plan. From January this year businesses tendering for construction, cleaning, security or traffic management work have been required to meet workplace standards in the Secure …
Read more
NEW Law – Whistleblower legislation
On 13 November 2019, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) released its updated regulatory guidelines on whistleblower policies and what it expects a policy to contain. ASIC requires that a whistleblower policy include: detail on who can make a disclosure both internally and externally; the types of wrongdoing that can be disclosed; details on …
Read more