Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency is currently considering amendments to expand the scope and increase the effectiveness of Japan’s whistleblower protection laws. The proposal is earmarked for implementation later this year. Current status of whistleblower protections in Japan Whistleblowers are protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act (Act No. 122 of 2004), which prohibits discriminatory treatment of … Read more

In Interush Limited & Anor v The Commissioner of Police, the Commission of Custom & Excise and Mak Wing Yip Cyril, Superintendent of Police [2019] HKCA 70, the Court of Appeal (“Court”) dismissed a challenge to the constitutionality of an aspect of Hong Kong’s money laundering legislation. The Court held that the statutory regime which … Read more

In its recently relaunched Enforcement Reporter newsletter (see first issue), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has confirmed that corporate fraud and misfeasance, anti-money laundering, Growth Enterprise Market companies and multiple intra-group failings are issues high on its agenda and will be pursued as a priority, as part of its shift towards a more targeted … Read more

In line with its increased commitment to combat money laundering and terrorist financing in Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has ordered the closure of Falcon Private Bank Ltd, Singapore Branch (Falcon Bank). On 11 October 2016, the MAS stated that it was withdrawing the merchant bank status of Falcon Bank for serious failures … Read more

Former Chief Secretary, Rafael Hui, former Sun Hung Kai chairman, Thomas Kwok, and two others have today been given permission to appeal to Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal.  The Court of Appeal granted permission for the further appeal in light of public interest and the legal issues involved. In February, the Court of Appeal … Read more

Hong Kong property tycoon Thomas Kwok and ex-deputy leader Rafael Hui saw their appeals against conviction and sentence dismissed before the Hong Kong Court of Appeal. In a detailed judgment, the Court of Appeal unanimously rejected the appeals brought by Kwok, Hui and two others. The judgment confirms the well-established principle that benefits offered to … Read more

International anti-corruption NGO, Transparency International, released on 27 January its latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), reviewing public sector corruption risk in 168 countries. Our 2015 report highlights the same offending countries and points to similar issues, particularly systemic government corruption, failed electoral mandates and public revolts against alleged grand-scale corruption. The latest CPI scores confirm … Read more

On Wednesday 13 January 2016, a cross section of our clients based in Singapore joined our Disputes and Corporate Crime & Investigations teams and Bankim Thanki QC, a leading commercial advocate and litigator who has practised extensively in the region and the editor of The Law of Privilege (Oxford), for a roundtable discussion on the … Read more