Can you cancel a contract because of COVID-19?

Overview of the (r)evolution of legislation governing the use of cannabis: Where to from here?

Cannabis has been a hot topic in the media and bold statements have been made by the Government regarding the economic potential that the cannabis sector can unlock in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa has referred to the potential revenue that could be created in the sector on two separate occasions during his annual State of the Nation Address. It has also been highlighted that industrial hemp and cannabis will create a pathway to industrialisation by having a ripple effect through to various other sectors such as foreign investment, agriculture, employment and construction. Although the Government’s stated intention to relax and review policies that hinder the growth of the industry is appreciated, South Africa is at a crossroads when it comes to competing with international cannabis industries developed within a regulatory framework.

Greater certainty as to when biodiversity offsets can be recommended as suitable mitigation measures in applications for environmental authorisation

On 23 June 2023 the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment published the National Biodiversity Offset Guideline (Guideline) in Government Notice 3569 of Government Gazette 48841. The Guideline comes into immediate effect and is to be implemented with the view to addressing the perceived shortcomings in biodiversity offset practices in South Africa.

The new tax amnesty: Time to get that waiver of penalties and interest

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) recently issued a public notice on 1 September 2023, titled “ Tax Amnesty on Interest and Penalties for periods up to 31 December 2022 ” (Notice). The Notice comes after the Finance Act, 2023 introduced a tax amnesty on interest and penalties for periods up to 31 December 2022. The tax amnesty will run from 1 September 2023 to 30 June 2024.

Competition and pricing algorithms: Can your machines violate competition law without you knowing?

In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize for peace in 1921, Christian Lange said that “ technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master ”. More than a 100 years later this statement is more relevant than ever. In a world where more commercial decisions are left in the ‘hands’ of automated decision-makers, this raises the question of whether these decisions can result in their human masters unknowingly contravening competitionlaw. 

Charlene Holder on Power 98.7

Four-day working week trial run in South Africa

We have written previously about the concept of the four-day work week and its relevance to the South African context (you can read our previous alerts here and here ).