Civil Law

Curiosity may kill the cat, but is indispensable for workplace health and safety

“Curiosity killed the cat” is a proverb “used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation” (Wikipedia) or is an idiom “said to warn someone not to ask too many questions about something” (Cambridge online dictionary). Yet for the modern officer, curiosity is a must, as it aligns with their personal WHS due diligence obligation.

Work health and safety (WHS) legislation, case law developments and many a published article on corporate governance (or lack thereof), confirm that in … Read the rest

Civil Law

Officials investigating Salmonella outbreak linked to San Diego restaurant

Five people were hospitalized as part of a Salmonella outbreak linked to a Middle Eastern restaurant in Clairemont, San Diego County health officials have reported.

Officials are investigating the outbreak among patrons of Aladdin Mediterranean Café, where people who reported getting sick had eaten on April 25 and 26. 

“County epidemiologists have identified 14 confirmed and probable cases associated with this outbreak, ranging between 18 and 79 years of age,” according to a news release from the county health department.… Read the rest

Civil Law

“Tester” Plaintiff Who “Actively Seeks Out Privacy Violations” Lacks Standing to Pursue CIPA Claim

Lawsuits targeting businesses’ use of website tools under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”) increasingly are filed by so-called “tester” plaintiffs.  These plaintiffs seek out websites to “test” for potential CIPA violations and then file lawsuits seeking damages for those alleged violations.  A California federal court recently confirmed that a CIPA plaintiff’s “status as a tester forecloses standing” for a simple reason: a tester “actively seeks out privacy violations” and therefore “cannot claim an injury when her expectations were … Read the rest

Civil Law

So What Goes with Social Security?

We’ve tried staying away from this subject because it seems so political. The Democrats are shreiking that the Republicans are about to “gut” Social Security and Medicare. The Republicans flatly deny that. Meanwhile both parties joined to pass a Social Security Fairness Act that increased benefits for some federal workers. The effect, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was to advance the time bomb of social security insolvency. Letter to the Honorable Chuck Grassley about the long-term effects of … Read the rest

Civil Law

Medical: Injunctions to prevent identification of institutions and clinicians involved in care (UKSC).

Abbasi and another (Respondents) v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Appellant);Haastrup (Respondent) v King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Appellant) [2015] UKSC 15 (Link to UKSC).

The text below is copied from the UKSC press summary.

Justices: Lord Reed (President), Lord Hodge (Deputy President), Lord Briggs, Lord Sales and Lord Stephens

Background to the Appeal

This appeal concerns the basis on which injunctions, granted in connection with proceedings initiated to determine whether it is in a child’s … Read the rest

Civil Law

U.S. Spotlight on Pharma Imports: What does this mean for Indian Pharma?

U.S. Spotlight on Pharma Imports: What does this mean for Indian Pharma?

The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”), on April 14, 2025, announced the initiation of an investigation into the imports of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients as well as semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the context of U.S. national security. This move could affect India’s USD 10 billion annual pharmaceutical exports to the U.S.

The BIS investigation would determine whether reliance on foreign pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”) and … Read the rest

Civil Law

The FDA and CDC should not be stopped from doing their jobs

Since the start of the Trump Administration, the CDC and FDA have withheld from the public details about a Romaine Lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened 89 in 15 states with 36 hospitalized, 7 with kidney failure – hemolytic uremic syndrome –  and 1 death.

(Bainbridge Island, WA – April 21, 2025)  “It is disappointing, but with 20,000 employees at Health and Human Services (HHS) being fired, investigating, and reporting on outbreaks and alerting the public to the … Read the rest

Civil Law

Matcha shortage spurs concern about unsafe bargain products in U.S.

A global matcha shortage is flooding U.S. markets with low-quality, potentially hazardous bargain products. Supply chain strains and paused tariffs are raising alarms about food safety.

Japan, the heart of authentic matcha production, is grappling with declining tea yields because of droughts, aging farmers and surging global demand, according to a Japan Times report. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported matcha production grew from 1,471 tons in 2010 to 4,176 tons in 2023. With more than half exported, … Read the rest