Mingqiang

We have recently received questions from some clients who have been notified by their landlord of a rent increase while still within the fixed term of the lease. Some landlords have even “threatened” that if the tenant doesn’t accept, they will sell the property — is this lawful?

FIRB stands for Foreign Investment Review Board, a body established under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (Cth) (“FATA”) that reports to the Treasurer. FATA requires that certain investments in Australian businesses, entities, or land be reviewed by FIRB beforehand. Its main purpose is for the government to monitor foreign investment and ensure such investments benefit Australia. Restricting purely foreign investors from acquiring existing property is intended to prevent speculative buying that would drive housing prices up unreasonably.

A recent incident at a barbecue restaurant in which people were beaten has drawn strong public condemnation. The reality is that hitting or assaulting someone can happen anywhere. When living overseas, it is extremely important to know which assault-type behaviours can breach the local criminal law. You may even have been subjected to some form of assault yourself without realising that, in Australia, such conduct actually constitutes a crime. Today we will briefly look at some of the laws that may be relevant to the barbecue-shop case, and focus on what offences hitting or assaulting someone in Australia may give rise to, and what serious consequences may follow.

During job-hunting or at work, many people have encountered workplace discrimination. When faced with workplace discrimination, having a conversation with your employer or manager can be a good option. However, when confronted with serious workplace discrimination, we can use the law as a weapon to protect ourselves.

We often hear of the “spirit of contract”. What is the spirit of contract? In essence, the spirit of contract means that both parties to a contract perform their respective obligations in good faith with regard to the matters agreed upon in the oral or written contract. In reality, however, there are many situations in which a party is unable to honour a promise or perform an obligation for one reason or another.

Australian law imposes strict time limits on all types of cases, known as limitation periods. These limits mean that a party must commence proceedings in court within the specified period. If you miss the limitation period, it may be difficult to bring legal proceedings to protect your rights.

Renting commercial premises in Australia is very common, and when disputes arise, landlords and tenants alike are sometimes unsure what to do. Today, let’s talk about what to do when a commercial lease dispute arises.

Australian family law provides that, where a marriage — including a de facto relationship — breaks down, one party may be entitled to require the other to pay spousal maintenance. So: In what circumstances can you apply for spousal maintenance? Is there a time limit for applying? How long can spousal maintenance last? Can you continue to receive spousal maintenance if you remarry?

Since the fuel price surge not long ago, prices in Australia have continued to climb. An iceberg lettuce that used to cost less than $5 has shot up to $12 in some supermarkets. Even KFC can’t keep up — they’ve notified customers that, due to supply issues across the country, they are temporarily using a mix of lettuce and cabbage in their Victorian, NSW, Queensland, ACT and Tasmanian stores.

Every year, not long after 20 May (“520”, the Chinese internet’s unofficial day of love), there’s always news of a couple falling out and ending up in court. Just last month, shortly after 520 had passed, a story broke: “Man sues ex-girlfriend for the return of 21 ‘520’ red packets.”