Author: NLM Correspondent

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the most stressful year in history and negatively affected the mental health of 78 percent of the global workforce. 85 percent of people say their mental health issues at work negatively affect their home life. 68 percent of people would prefer to talk to a robot over their manager about stress and anxiety at work. 76 percent of people believe companies should be doing more to support the mental health of their workforce 2020 has been the most stressful year in history for the global workforce and people want robots to help, according to a new study by…

By Marietje Schaake Should Twitter censor lies tweeted by the US president? Should YouTube take down covid-19 misinformation? Should Facebook do more against hate speech? Such questions, which crop up daily in media coverage, can make it seem as if the main technologically driven risk to democracies is the curation of content by social-media companies. Yet these controversies are merely symptoms of a larger threat: the depth of privatized power over the digital world. Every democratic country in the world faces the same challenge, but none can defuse it alone. We need a global democratic alliance to set norms, rules,…

By Lerisha Naidu and Sphesihle Nxumalo African competition authorities have collaborated closely in recent years, but the threat of de-globalisation after Covid-19 could change that, explain Lerisha Naidu and Sphesihle Nxumalo of Baker McKenzie. With the confluence of factors including globalisation, the rise of the digital economy, the proliferation of new competition law regimes, and the increasing incidences of cross-border activity on the continent, it is unsurprising that there has been conduct over which several competition authorities have wished to exert jurisdiction. By way of example, a recent single transaction involving GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer has been the subject of consideration by some 20 different authorities…

We’re never going back the way we were—and this will be to the benefit of firms, profitability, clients and lawyers if we make the right technology investments. Here are some specific ways firms can capture these benefits. By Christopher Zegers The forced experiment in change and technology adoption we are all, for better and worse, participating in can pay dividends: lawyers like their new, flexible work from home capabilities. In fact, most (67 percent) report they would like their job to stay remote once it’s safe to return to the office, even if it’s only a few days a week. A substantial benefit…

By Gaopalelwe Mathiba From a multidisciplinary perspective, Exploring the link between poverty and human rights in Africa assembles an impressive group of leading scholars, in their own right, on human rights, sociology and development studies. At the core of this edited volume is the probe into how the African continent has fared in navigating a complex interface between poverty alleviation, on one side of the spectrum and the advancement of human rights, on the other. The volume appreciates the intersectionality of its raison d’être, namely, poverty, an albatross to many Africans, with many dimensions and causes. The obvious good about this appreciation is…

Most legal tech companies understand the influential dynamic law firm staffers play in tech purchases. But law firms must also consider if reluctance to change is fuelling negative staff feedback. By Victoria Hudgins A managing partner or the firm’s executive committee may have the final say in tech purchases, but they are by no means the only decision makers. At the end of the day, law firm staffers wield significant power in advocating and nixing a tech purchase. Legal tech companies, therefore, need to make sure they’re understanding and addressing staffers’ unique challenges to obtain that crucial buy-in. According to the American Bar…

By Beya Keshi Robin At the end of the First World War, war was no longer seen as a lawful means of settling disputes between states. It is, moreover, the desire to exclude war and its consequences that led to the creation of the League of Nations and then to the organization of the United Nations in order to maintain international peace and security through a system of collective security. Peace thus became a fundamental value of international society. In order to preserve it, States started by condemning aggression as war unleashed against a State, before banning it outright. The…

By Gilbert Muyumbu In early 1981, President Daniel arap Moi directed that land disputes in the country would henceforth be settled by elders and the Provincial Administration, rather than through the court process. Moi had decided so, he said, to save ordinary Kenyans who had scant knowledge of court processes, from being exploited by lawyers. The announcement caught the LSK by surprise. Its reaction was immediate. It summoned a council meeting and came up with a measured response. Through its chairman, Amos S. Wako, the LSK challenged Moi’s directive on three grounds. First, it felt that as a body whose…

By David Onjili Kwame Otiende is a UK based Kenyan political economist, and the proprietor of The Jago Dalston. A graduate from the School of Oriental and African studies, a constituent college of the University of London, Kwame holds degrees in Development Economics and Politics and an MSc in management from Sussex University. The Jago is a live music venue and community arts space located on Kingsland Road in Dalston, London UK. It features live music, performances, workshops and community-led initiatives. The building traces its roots to the late 1800s when it was a printing press for the Hackney Gazette. The…

For the second consecutive time, Allianz has emerged as the top insurance brand in the world, according to Interbrand’s Best Global Brands Ranking. The positive news comes at an especially uncertain time for markets and industries across the globe, as they attempt to navigate the challenges of a worldwide pandemic. “Our focus on resilience, integrity and customer centricity is paying off. Allianz has once again been recognized as #1 insurance brand globally, which is fantastic news and confirms that we are on the right track,” said Oliver Bäte, Chief Executive Officer of Allianz SE. “We are immensely proud to be…