Q&A with Allens on Australia’s proposed modern slavery reforms

The Australian Government is consulting on proposed new measures to strengthen Australia’s legislative response to modern slavery. These include the introduction of a new criminal offence as well as a new civil penalty enforcement regime to address non-compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).

These proposed reforms mark a new direction for Australia’s modern slavery response, and raise many questions for companies in Australia.

To support engagement with the ongoing consultation – and preparation for the anticipated legislative changes – the UN Global Compact Network Australia invited Allens to respond to common questions we’re hearing from business about the proposed reforms, including:

🔹 Where did the ‘failure to prevent’ formulation come from?
🔹 How far down the supply chain would the new obligations apply?
🔹 How will the proposed new offence interact with foreign laws?
🔹 Will individual directors or officers face potential criminal or civil liability?