7 min read

Client Legal Update: Judgment of the Federal Labor Court (BAG)

See below this judgment from 20 December 2022 on the merits and limitations of annual vacation entitlements. Summary On 20 December 2022, the German Federal Labor Court (“BAG”) ruled that the entitlement to statutory minimum vacation is only subject to the three-year year statute of limitations if the employer has (i) previously informed its employees about their specific vacation entitlements and that the vacation will lapse if they do not take it and (ii) the employee then freely decides not to take them (See judgment – 9 AZR 266/20). If the employer fails to do so, the corresponding vacation claims…
3 min read

China’s Shein hit with RICO, a law used for organized crime | Business and Economy News

Lawsuit says Shein has grown rich by repeated copyright infringements in a ‘continuous pattern of racketeering’. China’s fast-fashion retailer Shein is facing a lawsuit that claims the clothing maker’s copyright infringement is so aggressive that it amounts to racketeering. The filing this week, by three fashion designers in a United States court, claims that Shein is in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as RICO, a law originally crafted to prosecute organized crime. “Shein has grown rich by committing individual infringements over and over again, as part of a long and continuous pattern of racketeering,…
5 min read

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…
2 min read

Bill 96: Rules for accessing English services in Quebec could change

Parts of Quebec’s controversial language law that took effect Thursday could still be tweaked, according to the minister responsible for the French language. “Of course, we will adjust during the next days and weeks to improve our way,” said Jean-Francois Roberge on Friday. “It’s important that in Quebec we know French is the only official language.” Despite the City of Cote Saint-Luc poking fun at the requirements for service in English, Roberge says it’s up to common sense, not a burden of proof. “We will rely on the good faith of Quebecers. We won’t ask people to bring a card…
5 min read

‘Devastating’: Transgender adults forced to flee Florida as law strips their health care

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The debate surrounding Florida’s new restrictions on gender-affirming care focused largely on transgender children. But a new law that Republican presidential candidate and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last month also made it difficult — even impossible — for many transgender adults to get treatment. Eli and Lucas, trans men who are a couple, followed the discussions in the Legislature, where Democrats warned that trans children would be more prone to suicide under a ban on gender-affirming care for minors and Republicans responded with misplaced tales of mutilated kids. Eli said he and his partner felt “blindsided” when…
4 min read

Elon Musk Says Twitter Rejection of Daily Wire’s ‘What Is a Woman?’ Doc Over Misgendering Was ‘a Mistake by Many People at Twitter’

UPDATE, 11 am PT: Twitter owner Elon Musk said the company’s reported rejection of the Daily Wire’s documentary “What Is a Woman?” documentary on the basis of “misgendering” was “a mistake by many people at Twitter. It is definitely allowed.” “Whether or not you agree with using someone’s preferred pronouns, not doing so is at most rude and certainly breaks no laws,” Musk said on Twitter in a reply to the original thread posted by Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing. “I should note that I do personally use someone’s preferred pronouns, just as I use someone’s preferred name, simply from…
6 min read

Disabilities lawsuit scores win over Ford government’s shield law

The Court of Appeal made it clear a Ford government law can’t block the claims of vulnerable people who’ve been ‘harmed by the government’s stupidity’: lawyer EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trilliuma new Village Media website devoted to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park. A law passed by the Ford government to immunize the province from lawsuits has suffered a blow from the Court of Appeal. And the group of Ontarians at the heart of the court victory couldn’t be more deserving, says a lawyer was involved in the case. Kirk Baert, a partner at Koskie Minsky,…
6 min read

Pakistan court says Khan arrest legal as party ponders next move | Imran Khan News

A court in Pakistan has ruled the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan legally as protests erupted across the country after he was taken into custody in the capital Islamabad. The arrest on Tuesday, as Khan appeared in court to face corruption allegations, is the latest twist in a months-long political crisis and follows several unsuccessful attempts to apprehend the cricketer-turned-politician. Senior members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said a six-member committee, formed by Khan in March over his fears of being arrested, will gather and decide the next move. Earlier, authorities said Khan was arrested in connection…