AllAboutLaw Blog: coronavirus, Airbus and more

Is the coronavirus discourse fuelling discrimination? Plus the largest settlement with a corporate malefactor and the judiciary’s diversity record, all in this week’s AllAboutLaw blog.

Coronavirus—a pandemic fueling discrimination?

The coronavirus has featured heavily in the news since its outbreak in Wuhan, China. The scale of the outbreak is causing concern around the world, claiming more than 300 deaths and infecting more than 14,000 people worldwide, with the World Health Organisation declaring the coronavirus to be an international emergency. Despite 23rd January’s unprecedented lockdown in Wuhan, cases have been recorded in other countries.

Internationally, many airlines have taken steps to suspend or reduce the number of flights to China within the aim of limiting the spread of the virus. In America, the Allied Pilots Association (APA) filed a lawsuit in Texas to force American Airlines to halt flights to China. 

Countries have responded to the pandemic by organising quarantine periods for citizens returning from Wuhan. Australians stranded in Wuhan will be transported to Christmas Island, off the coast of Australia, for a 14-day quarantine period. However, concerns have raised as to whether “Caucasian Australians” would receive the same treatment as Chinese Australians, with critics comparing the extensive measures taken by Australia to countries like the US and Japan, who have already repatriated citizens to major cities.

Nationally, fears over the spread of the coronavirus have led to resentment and discrimination of Wuhan residents. Those who left the city for the annual Lunar New Year holiday have found themselves “stranded in their own country”. Since Wuhan is no longer reachable by train, Wuhan residents are stuck in other parts of China, where hotels and guesthouses often refuse to offer them accommodation.

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“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress” - Martin Luther King

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Firm news

Pinsent Masons has been named the most LGBT-inclusive law firm by the campaign group Stonewall.

Reed Smith continues its European expansion with the hire of five new corporate partners in Brussels.

Irwin Mitchell has appointed Claire Petricca-Riding as the new head of planning and environment as it combines two departments.

Hogan Lovells has announed a new global privacy initiavitive, “Privacy 2040”, which aims to increase collaboration for future innovation in the field of privacy.

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Airbus corruption scandal

The Royal Courts of Justice concluded on Friday with the settlement of corruption charges against Airbus. In return for a suspended prosecution, the aerospace company will have to pay a fine €3.6 billion, with €991 million going to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The company was found to have engaged in years of bribing officials and middlemen around the world to secure orders for planes. The indictment includes five counts of failure to prevent bribery.

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The judiciary still has a way to go in improving diversity

A new report by Justice, an influential law reform group, highlights the lack of progress in achieving a more diverse judiciary, with senior roles still “dominated by white men”. Only a third of judges in courts are women and 7% are BAME. Although the report acknowledges the implementation of previous recommendations, the current gender and ethnic representation in the judiciary strongly implies the need to address this issue more effectively.

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Recommended reading

The story of the detention of the Economist’s Middle East correspondent.

An ill-thought-through cover story has exposed China’s penchant to smuggle US microchips

To stop an increasing number of impersonations, Greta Thunberg has announced plans to trademark her name and the #Fridaysforfuture movement.

How will the new Age Appropriate Design Code affect children’s use of online interfaces? 

It has been just under two years since the legalisation of abortion in Ireland, however, there is still room for improvement.

The European Court of Justice has clarified existing trademark rules in the recent Sky v Skykick case.

Should a duty of care with regards to the climate emergency compel one to act disobediently in the interest of public health?

A new podcast by Farrer & Co addresses the topic of family law and its common applications.

Blog

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• Robert Mugabe resigns after a 37 year rule
• "The Gender Pay Gap Is A Continuing Reality"