Our Scans · (ZY.4.15) Law · Weekly Summary

• [New] The US constitution's fourth amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and law enforcement generally must show a judge or a grand jury they have probable cause to believe the materials they want to search will produce evidence of a crime. The Guardian
• [New] A global body for in-house lawyers is seeking to defend legal professional privilege in an EU court case that could jeopardise in-house lawyers' roles as 'trusted advisers' to colleagues. Law Gazette
• [New] A US federal trade court has declined to immediately block seafood imports from New Zealand in a case centered on protections for the critically endangered Maui dolphin and the threatened Hector's dolphin, while allowing the underlying legal challenge to move forward. SeafoodNews
• [New] The Taliban's new penal code demonstrates how criminal law can be transformed from a system intended to protect society into a tool of fear, repression, and control. VU Amsterdam
• [New] Where previously there was no specific offence prohibiting coercive control in the Canadian Criminal Code, soon a new law will prohibit engaging in a pattern of coercive or controlling conduct toward an intimate partner. pniatlantic
• [New] Note that California's climate disclosure regulation remains subject to legal challenge, with a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the validity of the climate disclosure regulation expected in the near term. Mintz
• [New] With the rise of artificial intelligence and the use of personal data to enhance algorithms, law enforcement agencies in the United States and around the world have begun to rely on algorithmic crime-reporting systems that forecast potential criminal activity and drive police operations. Scribe
• For US and French companies alike, local corruption risks remain unchanged, as French criminal law and the Sapin II framework continue to apply irrespective of the US pause. Bird & Bird
• China will remain firm in safeguarding the international system with the U.N. at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. Unlimited Hangout
• Multinational groups with multiple China entities should plan centrally: Groups managing several China legal entities through a shared financial or tax function should track the pilot timeline and evaluate any system upgrade needs as a single coordinated exercise, rather than entity by entity. China Briefing News
• The 2025-2026 reforms to criminal law United Arab Emirates represent both a modernization opportunity and a compliance imperative. Global Advisory Experts
• Many hope that the US government can eventually shape up its immigration system, with 76% wanting protections from deportation and detention and 53% expressing hope for a pathway to legal status and US citizenship. The Guardian
• After the US supreme court ruled against many of Trump's tariffs imposed under a different law, Brazil will become the first country targeted under the new strategy, which relies on Section 301 of US trade law, a provision authorising investigations into alleged unfair trade practices. The Guardian
• The U.S. legal system will have its hands full overseeing the distribution of tariff refunds from the defunct IEEPA authority at the same time that it fields challenges to new tariff authorities. Equitable Growth
• Italy's Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to the Free to Choose (Liberi di Scegliere) bill, a landmark law offering children and young adults raised in mafia families the chance to escape the criminal organizations they might otherwise be expected to inherit. Al Jazeera
• Between 330,000 and 350,000 Haitians could lose legal status and work authorization if the Supreme Court ends TPS, putting them at risk of deportation. leadingage
• The federal government will consider stronger legal protections for religious groups, people with a disability and LGBTQ + Australians after new hate speech laws drafted in the wake of the Bondi beach shootings pass parliament. The Guardian

Last updated: 04 September 2026