Asian Legal Review

Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, has a tough job on his hands.It’s not just, as analysts point out, that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated extremism online and offline. Yaqut is six months into his position at the helm of the ministry at a time conservative and hardline ideologies have permeated government schools and institutions of higher learning, the civil service, as well as political and social life.Conservatism has also crept into the judiciary, with…

Myanmar’s junta chief on Tuesday thanked Russia, a major weapons supplier to the troubled Southeast Asian country, for strengthening the army which seized power in a coup earlier this year.Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military overthrew civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) government in February.Russia has backed its ally and warned the West against sanctioning the junta.“Thanks to Russia, our army has become one of the strongest in the region,”…

A new law passed in Germany provides for contingency fees for lawyers and new rules for debt collection agencies. The reform is the first part of a series of reforms of the legal services market.

Indonesia announced on Monday it would tighten movement restrictions amid a surge of coronavirus infections, fuelled by the Delta variant, that has brought the health system to the brink of collapse and put a question mark over plans to reopen parts of Riau and Bali to tourists from overseas.The country on Monday recorded 14,536 new cases, its highest daily figure yet, bringing its total number of cases to more than two million. That figure, like its death toll of nearly 55,000, is the highest…

President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to jail people who refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus as the Philippines battles one of Asia’s worst outbreaks, with more than 1.3 million cases and more than 23,000 deaths.“You choose, vaccine or I will have you jailed,” Duterte said in a televised address on Monday following reports of low turnouts at several vaccination sites in the capital, Manila.Duterte’s remarks contradict those of his health officials who have said that while people…

Widespread changes to the UK’s IR35 off-payroll working rules came into force on 6 April 2021, and despite a 12-month delay to implementation, detailed HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidance and subsequent amendments to the legislation, areas of uncertainty remain.

In a bid to boost government coffers decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, Indonesia is considering a sweeping tax overhaul that would add VAT to foodstuffs, education and health care, hike rates for high-net-worth individuals and put major carbon emitters in the firing line.Indonesian President Joko Widodo asked parliament recently to discuss proposals to amend the 1983 law on general tax provisions and procedures. A leaked draft of the government’s proposals showed it was seeking a new tax…

Myanmar’s junta leader has flown out of the country to attend a conference in Moscow, state media reported on Sunday, his second trip abroad since seizing power in February.Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will attend the Moscow Conference on International Security, expected to be held from June 22-24, Myanmar military-controlled television network MRTV reported on Sunday. Since taking power he has travelled abroad only to attend a regional summit hosted by Indonesia in April.The army overthrew a…

When software entrepreneur Tom Coyne moved to Malta from Hong Kong with his family last summer, he imagined he’d be taking a temporary break from pandemic life in the city. But after spending nearly a year in the small European country with his wife and three children, the 47-year-old Irishman is almost certain he will not return.Before Covid-19, Coyne – who asked for his real name not to be used due to privacy concerns – would typically make several international trips for business each week…

Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an arms embargo against the Southeast Asian nation and condemning the military’s February seizure of power.Myanmar described the resolution, which passed on Friday and is not legally binding, as being “based on one-sided sweeping allegations and false assumptions.” The statement issued in the capital Naypyidaw said the Foreign Ministry had sent letters of objection to the UN Secretary-General Antonio…