Peter Leon
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Articles by Peter Leon
PETER LEON: A twist in the race for critical minerals as US targets Africa
The launch of US President Donald Trump administration’s critical minerals initiative by vice-president JD Vance in Washington on February 4, and the establishment of its forum on resource geostrategic engagement to replace the minerals security partnership of former president Joe Biden’s administration, is no accident. Nor is the fact that key African mineral producers of critical minerals — Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea, Morocco and Zambia — were invited to the party.
Proactive patrol nets known offenders
On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, shortly after 7:30 a.m., while conducting a proactive patrol in the Collier and Clapperton Streets area, a sharp-eyed officer from the Barrie Police Service recognized a male that was known to be wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for Failure to Comply with Probation Order. The 31-year-old male, who was walking on the sidewalk, was arrested without incident and transported back to Barrie Police Headquarters.
Police respond to afternoon stabbing
Yesterday afternoon, just before 3:00 p.m., officers from the Barrie Police Service responded to a report of a stabbing at a residential rental unit on Dunlop Street East. Upon arrival, police located the 29-year-old victim who was seriously injured and suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was tended to by County of Simcoe Paramedic Services and transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
Police locate female after tiered response
This morning, at 5:19 a.m., Barrie Fire and Emergency Services, Simcoe County Paramedic Services and Barrie Police all responded to a report of a fall alert at an apartment complex in the Bayfield and Sophia Streets area. Emergency services were unable to locate the victim who was not in her apartment. A group of Barrie Police officers who responded to the call for service remained on scene and began what quickly evolved in a very comprehensive search of the building.
PETER LEON: What SA can learn from Saudi Arabia’s mining success
With SA’s new mining cadastral system delayed yet again until October (and then only initially for the Western Cape), after originally being promised in 2021, delays in the mineral licensing system remain endemic. In 2023/24, the department of mineral & petroleum resources received 5,525 applications for mining rights, with not one finalised. Applications for prospecting rights can take up to a year to process, while mining rights can take 18 months to two years.
newbie ... Mirrors and ambient lights
Hi guys, happy new owner of a 2018 Leon Mk3 FR Technology. I am still learning and found out silly things (like start stop cant turn off in ECO etc) ... But, my ambient lighting (doors and footwells) are not working, and also the mirrors wont flip in after the car is switched off. They do work when trying to change the positions, so the fuse etc is fine. Settings in the media are all checked and car is in normal mode (in case it matters). What am I missing?
PETER LEON: Agoa renewal and reality of the Trump presidency
Much excitement appears to have been generated domestically, not least within the labour movement, by the US trade representative’s December 21 announcement that President Joe Biden had made no changes to the US’s African Growth & Opportunity Act (Agoa) country beneficiaries for 2025. There are several reasons why this excitement may be premature.
Human parainfluenza virus 3 vaccine candidates attenuated by codon-pair deoptimization are immunogenic and protective in hamsters
A. C. Schmidt et al., Progress in the development of human parainfluenza virus vaccines. Expert. Rev. Respir. Med. 5, 515–526 (2011). X. Wang et al., Global burden of acute lower respiratory infection associated with human parainfluenza virus in children younger than 5 years for 2018: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob. Health 9, e1077–e1087 (2021). G. A. Weinberg et al., Parainfluenza virus infection of young children: Estimates of the population-based burden of hospitalization. J. Pediatr.
Fraud Prevention Month Celebrates 20th Anniversary
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Fraud Prevention Month. The theme of this year’s campaign is “20 years of fighting fraud: From then to now. With this theme, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) will be exploring how certain frauds have evolved with the rise of the digital age, drawing insightful comparisons between the past and present.
Beware Pitfalls Of Resource Nationalism: Lessons From Indonesia
As countries and companies compete for critical minerals in the green energy transition, in which battery metals — cobalt, graphite, lithium, nickel and manganese — are crucial, host states in Southern Africa are resorting to export controls on unprocessed critical minerals. These are principally intended to bolster the host state's control over its mineral patrimony, compelling mining companies to engage in domestic beneficiation.
ESG Tracker SADC Region July 2023
There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
ESG Tracker (SADC Edition)
Find out more about Lexology or get in touch by visiting our About page. Register To view this article you need a PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader. If you can't read this PDF, you can view its text here. Go back to the PDF . Africa, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Global, Kenya, Lesotho, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe August 10 2023 Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all.
PETER LEON AND NATASHA RACHWAL: Beware pitfalls of resource nationalism: lessons from Indonesia
While the circumstances motivating the adoption of export controls vary, these interventions are frequently driven by the relative increase in demand and pricing of specific minerals, coupled with funding constraints in the host state, and/or host states capitalising on the siren call of resource nationalism.
The New Arms Race – EU Critical Raw Materials Act Highlights Intensifying Global Competition - Energy Law - European Union
On 16 March 2023, the European Commission unveiled its new Critical Raw Materials Act (the "Act"), now due to undergo review by the EU Council and Parliament, once public comment closes on June 30.
EU Raw Materials Act Highlights Intensifying Global Competition
On 16 March 2023, the European Commission unveiled its new Critical Raw Materials Act, now due to undergo review by the EU Council and Parliament, after public comment closed on June 30. While the EU has correctly identified that it must foster greater cooperation between Member States to grow the resilience of its critical mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on third countries, in its current form, the Act regrettably provides little guidance on how its ambitious targets will be met.
ESG Tracker SADC Region June 2023
There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
ESG Tracker SADC Region May 2023
Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
Peter Leon from Herbert Smith Freehills Author Profile Page
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ESG Tracker (SADC Edition)
ESG TRACKER (SADC EDITION) May 2023 | Johannesburg Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
ESG Tracker SADC Region April 2023
Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
ESG Tracker SADC Region April 2023
ESG TRACKER (SADC EDITION) April 2023 | Johannesburg Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
They come in different shapes and sizes and if you wear one, it can save your life
Another great safe boating message from the Canadian Safe Boating Council. It happened so quickly. One minute you’re having the most fun of your life, the next minute you’re struggling for your life.” That was Dave Kimpinski’s comment after nearly drowning in a boating accident. Dave and his young son, Curtis, were pulling Dave’s niece Amanda on an inflatable tube with their small outboard powered boat.
ESG tracker (SADC edition)
ESG TRACKER (SADC EDITION) 1 December 2022 to 31 January 2023 | Johannesburg Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all.
Africa’s extractive sector should comply with global due diligence obligations
African mining jurisdictions now have an unmissable opportunity to break out of this spiral. Demand for critical raw materials is at a high as the world races to decarbonise and traditional fossil fuel importers seek to establish domestic renewable energy generation to achieve security of supply.
PETER LEON: Cyril Ramaphosa must be judged in terms of his role as ‘constitutional being by design’
Former UK prime minister Harold Wilson’s aphorism that “a week is a long time in politics” could not seem more apt following the independent panel’s November 30 report on its preliminary inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa's conduct under section 89 of the constitution.
Strategic advocacy and commercial diplomacy in extractives key to net zero
Knowledge of where the minerals are located will not help the race to net zero if mining companies are unable to access the mineral deposits in question. Here it is important to acknowledge the growing sentiment among African countries and host communities that they are not benefiting from their vast wealth of critical raw materials.
Rio Tinto’s Serbian saga offers a lesson in critical minerals
The northern hemisphere’s summer of 2022 will be remembered as one of the hottest in recorded history. For example, Nasareportedthat June was one of the hottest Junes on record. The UK, in turn, experiencedrecord temperaturesin July. On May 14, the city of Jacobabad, Pakistan, became the hottest city on Earth, when temperatures peaked at 51ºC.
ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) - Waste Management - South Africa
Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG–related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG–related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
ESG Tracker (SADC Edition)
Herbert Smith Freehills ESG Tracker (SADC Edition) There are so many ESG-related publications and developments that it is hard to keep abreast of them all. For this reason, HSF publishes a monthly tracker of ESG-related publications and developments, with a primary focus on developments that may be of most interest to or impact our clients in the Southern African Development Community, be they corporates, asset managers or asset owners.
Zambia must restore foreign confidence to revitalise its mining sector
When Zambia’s opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema secured a landslide victory over incumbent Edgar Lungu in the country’s presidential...
Green Energy Transition Presents ‘Unparalleled' Opportunity For Zambia
Zambia: Green Energy Transition Presents ‘Unparalleled' Opportunity For Zambia 04 April 2022 Herbert Smith Freehills The green energy transition presents an "unparalleled" opportunity for Zambia, but for it to work, the mining sector needs a fair, predictable and stable regulatory framework, law firm Herbert Smith Freehills partner and Africa co-chair Peter Leon said during an address at the Chatham House Conference, in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 30.
Mining sector has critical role in the green energy transition
The green energy transition is the global agenda or pathway stakeholders across the world are pursuing in an attempt to transform the global economy from a pure fossil-based to a carbon-neutral energy sector. At this point the aim is to achieve this by 2050. The transition is underpinned by several international agreements and undertakings, including the 17 UN sustainable development goals and those provided in theParis Agreement.
Local Content Policies And Their Value On The African Continent (Podcast)
South Africa: Local Content Policies And Their Value On The African Continent (Podcast) 03 March 2022 Herbert Smith Freehills To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Earlier this year, Peter Leon joined Sheila Khama as a guest on her Extractives Podcast series. In this episode, Peter and Sheila take a deep dive into the issue of Resource Nationalism.
Saudi Strategy Will Make KSA A Mining Hub, Industry Pundits Believe
To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Saudi Arabia has in recent years been under scrutiny as a major player in the oil-based carbon economy, but it is now drawing praise for its strategic shift towards the discovery and extraction of minerals and metals.
ESG Tracker SADC Region February 2022
South Africa: ESG Tracker SADC Region February 2022 09 February 2022 by Peter Leon , Ernst Müller , Justine Sweet and Amanda Hattingh Herbert Smith Freehills To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. In light of the multiple recent and forthcoming regulatory developments impacting ESG in South Africa (SA), HSF has prepared brief summaries of the key regulatory ESG highlights from 2021 as well as those to look out for in 2022.
Shell Prevented From Proceeding With Seismic Survey Offshore Of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province
To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. As 2021 ended, the South African High Court (court) granted local communities' request for an urgent interim injunction prohibiting Shell Exploration and Production South Africa BV, Impact Africa Limited and BG International Limited 1 (Shell) from conducting any seismic exploration activities off the coast of South Africa's Eastern Cape province.
OFFSHORE EXPLORATION OP-ED: Shell judgment adds to growing body of decisions that companies must take rights of communities seriously
As 2021 ended, the Eastern Cape high court granted local communities’ request for an urgent interim injunction prohibiting Shell Exploration and Production South Africa BV, Impact Africa Limited and BG International Limited (Shell) from conducting any seismic exploration activities off the coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
Increasing ESG and regulatory scrutiny on ethical supply chains
Peter Leon | Partner | Africa Chair | Herbert Smith Freehills | mail me | What are the legal implications for international oil companies (IOCs) operating in host countries where supplier due diligence is a challenge? The short answer to the question is that IOCs face ever increasing legal risk. The legal risk is the product of the legal frameworks which regulate the IOCs and their operations as well as the nature and characteristics of their operating environment.
PETER LEON: Security act contravenes SA’s commitments under General Agreement on Trade in Services
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the controversial Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill into law on September 23, more than seven years after the bill was passed by parliament and sent to former president Jacob Zuma for assent.
JUDGEMENT | Key consequences of the Mining Charter III
Peter Leon | Partner | Africa Chair | Herbert Smith Freehills | mail me | There are key consequences of the Gauteng Division of the High Court’s decision in Minerals Council of South Africa v The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and Thirteen Others (Case No. 20341/19) (Mining Charter III Judgment).
Africa's Journey to Cop26 - the State of Play On the Continent's Road to Meeting Its Climate Obligations
To what extent have South Africa, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Gambia and Ghana developed and implemented responses to Paris Agreement undertakings? This sample of countries provides some insight into sub-Saharan Africa's past performance and current policies, and is a starting point for discussion about what the world could and should expect from them at COP26 and in the next decade.
OUR BURNING PLANET OP-ED: Africa’s journey to COP26: The state of play on the continent’s road to meeting its climate obligations
A panoramic image taken from the '7th Continent' expedition sailing ship as French President Emmanuel Macron and a delegation visit Calanques National Park near Marseille, southern France, on 3 September 2021. Macron has urged the world to better protect biodiversity as a key to fighting climate change.
PETER LEON: Well-written bill may finally unlock SA’s upstream petroleum potential
The potential of SA’s upstream petroleum resources has been spotlighted since 2019 by global oil giant Total’s discovery of two vast deposits of gas concentrate in the Outeniqua Basin off the coast of Mossel Bay. A bill introduced in parliament in July might allow the country to take full advantage of these and other untapped reserves. The government earmarked this underdeveloped sector as a potential economic game-changer many years ago, but did virtually nothing to cultivate it.
PETER LEON: Localisation is no panacea for SA’s economic woes
The localisation policies and master plans might contravene SA’s international trade law obligations 16 August 2021 - 14:13 Peter Leon The SA economy has stagnated over the past decade. The outbreak of Covid-19 18 months ago in itself led to a 7% contraction in GDP in 2020.
OUR BURNING PLANET OP-ED: Covid-19 has shown us that the global community will need to support Africa in its response to the climate crisis
Africa’s (in)ability to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic serves as a model on how the continent may be able to respond to, as much as cope with, the detrimental effects of climate change. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Aaron Ufumeli) Africa’s (in)ability to respond to the pandemic serves as a model on how the continent may be able to respond to, as much as cope with, the detrimental effects of climate change.
The 2021 upstream petroleum resources development bill
Peter Leon | Partner | Africa Chair | Herbert Smith Freehills | mail me | Total S.A.’s (Total) initial discovery just over two years ago of gas concentrate in the Outeniqua Basin (Brulpadda prospect, Block 11B/12B) offshore South Africa, a deposit reportedly containing around one billion barrels of oil equivalent, has placed a spotlight on the potential of South Africa’s upstream oil and gas industry.
SA’s transition to electronic vehicles: a zero sum game
Peter Leon | Partner | Africa Chair | Herbert Smith Freehills | mail me | South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) published its initial discussion paper on the country’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
Protest being planned at Barrie’s Sadlon Arena parking lot - fines and court dates can be issued up to 30-days after the offence
The Barrie Police Service and the City of Barrie are aware of another gathering being planned for this Saturday May 8, 2021, similar to the recent weekend protests at Meridian Place and Centennial Park. The event being advertised is expected to occur at the Sadlon Arena parking lot along Bayview Drive between noon and 4:00 p.m. The Barrie Police Service and the City of Barrie do not support or permit these gatherings, as they are in contravention of provincial law.
PETER LEON: Beggar thy neighbour economics are self-defeating
Writing in the wake of the Great Depression in 1937, on the eve of World War 2, distinguished Cambridge economist Joan Robinson observed that on the face of it an increase in exports relative to imports leads to more employment. The snag was that such an increase in exports in one country inevitably led to a decline in another.
South Africans will draw the short end of the stick in expropriation
Parliament is debating two bills, one amending the property clause (section 25) of the constitution and another replacing the 1975 Expropriation Act to allow the state to take “land and any improvements thereon” without any compensation in some circumstances.
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