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  • Administrative Review Council Inquiry on Social Security

    The Administrative Review Council is conducting an inquiry into the administrative review of social security decisions by Services Australia and the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). The inquiry follows a request by the former Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP, as well as a recommendation of the Senate Committee for Legal and Constitutional Affairs. There are currently 3 levels of administrative review of social security primary decisions: Internal review within... More
    Opened 18 August 2025

  • Australia's fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) – draft national report

    The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council peer-review process that considers the human rights records of each UN Member State every four and a half years. The review is unique because it is led by Member States and covers a broad range of international human rights obligations. The UPR differs from UN human rights treaty body reviews that are led by committees of experts and focus on specific treaties. The UPR will assess the implementation of... More
    Opened 1 August 2025

  • Disability Discrimination Act Review – Issues Paper

    We are consulting the public on ways to reform the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (the Disability Discrimination Act). This is part of the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission). The Disability Royal Commission was extensive and far reaching. It made 222 recommendations. This shows how important it is to do more to stop unacceptable treatment of people with... More
    Opened 1 August 2025

  • Disability Discrimination Act Review – Community Survey

    We are consulting the public on ways to reform the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (the Act). This is part of the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (the Disability Royal Commission). The review considers 15 recommendations that the Disability Royal Commission made about the Act. It also considers other ways to make the Act clearer and bring it up to date. We have written an ... More
    Opened 1 August 2025

  • Strengthening the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)

    Under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (Modern Slavery Act), large entities based or operating in the Australian market with an annual consolidated revenue of at least A$100 million are required to submit annual modern slavery statements describing their actions to assess and address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains. Statements are publicly available online on the Modern Slavery Statements Register . On 2 December 2024, the Australian Government released its... More
    Opened 21 July 2025

  • Establishment of an Accreditation Scheme for Children’s Contact Services

    Children’s Contact Services (CCS) play a critical role in assisting families to maintain contact after separation where it is not safe to do so without assistance. CCS allow children to continue to spend time with parents (or significant others in their lives) who they do not normally live with. Following recommendations from the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Family Law for the Future inquiry and the Joint Select Committee on Australia’s Family Law System, the government is... More
    Opened 15 July 2025

  • Consultation on the 'Happily Ever (before and) After' brochure for marrying couples

    The ‘Happily Ever (before and) After’ brochure (the HEBA) outlines the steps that are required to get married in Australia, the legal implications of marriage, and the availability of marriage education and counselling. The HEBA is provided for the purposes of section 42(5A) of the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) (the Act). Section 42(5A) of the Act requires that: An authorised celebrant shall, as soon as practicable after receiving the [notice of intended marriage], give to the... More
    Opened 16 June 2025

  • Consultation on the Identity Verification Services Amendment (Participation Agreements) Rules 2025

    The Attorney-General’s Department invites submissions on the draft Identity Verification Services Amendment (Participation Agreements) Rules 2025 (Amendment Rules). The Amendment Rules are made under the Identity Verification Services Act 2023 (the IVS Act), and would amend the Identity Verification Services Rules 2024 (IVS Rules) to prescribe a longer transition period for finalising participation agreements between Document Verification Service (DVS) users and our department.... More
    Closed 2 June 2025

  • Review of the use of legal professional privilege in Commonwealth investigations

    On 6 August 2023, the Australian Government announced a joint review by the Attorney-General’s Department and Treasury into the use of legal professional privilege in Commonwealth investigations. The Attorney-General’s Department and Treasury are undertaking public consultation on a discussion paper to inform this review. Why we are consulting Since the government’s announcement, the Attorney-General’s Department and Treasury have engaged with approximately 100 stakeholders... More
    Closed 28 February 2025

  • Consultation draft of the National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People 2024-2034

    All Australian governments are committed to promoting the dignity, security and autonomy of older Australians. This includes preventing the abuse and mistreatment of older people in all its forms – whether it be physical, psychological, sexual, financial, or another form of mistreatment or neglect. It also includes taking positive steps to promote the rights of older people. This consultation focuses on the draft National Plan to End the Abuse and Mistreatment of Older People... More
    Closed 17 February 2025

  • Automated Decision-Making Reform

    The public consultation that will help inform the development of a consistent framework for the use of automated decision-making (ADM) in the delivery of government services is now open. ADM refers to the use of technology, such as a computer program, to automate a decision-making process. We are seeking your views to better understand what protections are needed for the safe and responsible use of ADM by government entities. Consultation paper Consultation... More
    Closed 15 January 2025

  • Public consultation ­­– Review of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021

    About the review Section 284 of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 (FCFCOA Act) requires a review of the FCFCOA Act to be undertaken within 3 years of the Act’s commencement. The Attorney-General has appointed the Hon Linda Dessau AC CVO and Professor Helen Rhoades OAM to conduct the review. They are to provide a report on the review to the Attorney-General on or before 1 March 2025. Terms of reference The review is to consider: The... More
    Closed 12 December 2024

  • Consultation to inform options for implementing the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records in Australia

    We are undertaking a public consultation to advise the Australian Government on options for implementing legislation aligned with the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) . The MLETR is a model law developed by the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). It contains a set of provisions which, if adopted into domestic law, would confirm that transferable records in the form of electronic data (or ‘electronic transferable records’) have the same legal... More
    Closed 28 October 2024

  • Enhancing Civil Protections and Remedies for Forced Marriage

    If you're experiencing any difficulty providing a submission please email ForcedMarriage@ag.gov.au The Australian Government is working with the states and territories to tackle the issue of forced marriage. We are now conducting consultations to inform this important work. Everyone in Australia should be free to choose if, who and when they marry. Making someone get married when they do not want to is never acceptable and is a crime in Australia. Forced marriage occurs... More
    Closed 23 September 2024

  • Exposure Draft: Family Law Regulations 2024

    The Attorney-General’s Department welcomes feedback from interested stakeholders on an exposure draft of the Family Law Regulations 2024. The Family Law Regulations 1984 (the existing Regulations) are due to sunset on 1 April 2025. The department has been reviewing the existing Regulations with the intent to remake them prior to sunsetting. The existing Regulations support the operation of the Family Law Act by prescribing matters of practice and procedure, including: relevant... More
    Closed 5 September 2024

  • Administrative Review Tribunal Rules 2024 – Public Consultation

    The Administrative Review Tribunal (Tribunal), a new, fit-for-purpose federal administrative review body replacing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) will commence on 14 October 2024. It will be user-focused, efficient, accessible, independent and fair. The Administrative Review Taskforce is developing the Administrative Review Tribunal Rules 2024 (Rules) to be made under the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024. This consultation seeks views on the drafting of important... More
    Closed 5 August 2024

  • Draft guidance on adequate procedures to prevent the commission of foreign bribery

    The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Combatting Foreign Bribery) Act 2024 passed through Parliament in February 2024 and introduces a new corporate offence of failure to prevent foreign bribery under section 70.5A of the Criminal Code Act 1995. The offence will apply where an associate of a corporation has committed bribery for the profit or gain of the corporation. However, a corporation will not be liable under the ‘failure to prevent’ offence if it can prove it had ‘adequate... More
    Closed 9 June 2024

  • Consultation on Identity Verification Services Rules 2024

    The Attorney-General invites submissions on draft rules to be made under the Identity Verification Services Act 2023 (the IVS Act). The IVS Act, which passed the Australian Parliament on 7 December 2023, establishes a legislative framework to support the secure and efficient operation of the identity verification services, subject to strong privacy safeguards and oversight arrangements. The identity verification services are a series of automated national services offered by the... More
    Closed 1 May 2024

  • Exposure Draft: Family Law (Superannuation) Regulations 2024

    The Family Law (Superannuation) Regulations 2001 (the existing Regulations) are due to sunset on 1 April 2025. We have been reviewing the existing Regulations with a view to remaking them prior to their sunset. We have released an exposure draft of the Family Law (Superannuation) Regulations 2024 (the new Regulations) to seek feedback on the proposed new Regulations. The superannuation splitting framework under the new Regulations is substantially the same as the current framework.... More
    Closed 26 April 2024

  • Public Consultation on Doxxing and Privacy Reforms

    We are consulting with members of the public to seek your views on how to most appropriately address doxxing through civil remedies. Definition of doxxing 'Doxxing' is the intentional online exposure of an individual’s identity, private information or personal details without their consent . Doxxing can refer to a number of different practices, including: De-anonymising doxxing – revealing the identity of someone who was previously anonymous (for example, someone... More
    Closed 28 March 2024

  • Submissions to the Statutory review of sentencing for Commonwealth child sex offences

    The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Act 2020 (Cth) (SCAC Act) was enacted in June 2020. It amended the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) and the Criminal Code 1994 (Cth) to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for the most serious Commonwealth child sex offences and repeat offenders. Schedule 15 of the SCAC Act required a review to be undertaken of the first 3 years (23 June 2020 to 22 June 2023) of the operation of these amendments by... More
    Closed 5 February 2024

  • Public sector whistleblowing stage 2 reforms

    The Australian Government invites submissions on a consultation paper as part of the second stage of public sector whistleblowing reform. The first stage of reforms, which commenced on 1 July 2023, amended the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) (the PID Act) to deliver immediate improvements for public sector whistleblowers and support for disclosures of corrupt conduct to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). These reforms implemented 21 of the 33 recommendations from... More
    Closed 22 December 2023

  • Achieving greater consistency in laws for financial enduring powers of attorney

    All Australian Governments are committed to promoting the dignity, security and autonomy of older Australians. This includes preventing the abuse of older people in all its forms – physical, financial, psychological and sexual abuse, and neglect – and taking positive steps to promote the rights of older persons. This consultation process focuses on addressing financial elder abuse and achieving greater consistency in laws for financial enduring powers of attorney (EPOAs). ... More
    Closed 29 November 2023

  • Open Government Partnership Phase 2

    The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. The OGP agenda extends to a variety of issues. These include: digital transformation the use of artificial intelligence promoting disclosure of interests and conflicts freedom of information public ethics anti-corruption ... More
    Closed 22 November 2023

  • Consultation to establish a national point of referral to help victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

    Child sexual abuse is a challenging issue and may bring up strong feelings. A detailed list of support services can be found below or on the Get Support page of the National Office for Child Safety website. On 27 October 2021, the Australian Government launched the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 (National Strategy), and committed $307.5 million for implementing 62 measures under the National Strategy’s First National Action Plan (NAP) and... More
    Closed 17 November 2023

  • Exposure Draft: Family Law Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023

    The Australian Government is committed to improving the family law system so that it is accessible, safer, simpler to use, and delivers justice and fairness for all Australian families. The Government wants to make sure separating couples can better understand the decision-making framework used in family law to resolve their property and financial matters confidently and safely. The release of the draft Family Law Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023 (the exposure draft) is an opportunity to... More
    Closed 10 November 2023

  • Submissions to the National Legal Assistance Partnership 2020-2025 (NLAP) review

    The National Legal Assistance Partnership 2020-2025 (NLAP) is an agreement of more than $2.4 billion between the Australian Government and all states and territories to fund legal assistance services. The NLAP provides funding to Legal Aid Commissions (LACs), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS), and Community Legal Centres (CLCs) to provide legal assistance to Australia’s most vulnerable people. Under Clause 81 of the NLAP, an independent review must be... More
    Closed 27 October 2023

  • Open Government Partnership Phase 1

    The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. Why we are consulting The Australian Government has delivered 2 National Action Plans (from 2016 to 2020), and now the Open Government Forum is working on the third National Action Plan (NAP3). The NAP3 will set out commitments by the Australian... More
    Closed 17 September 2023

  • Guidelines for appointments to the Australian Human Rights Commission

    In March 2022, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) Sub-Committee on Accreditation (the sub-committee) deferred the re-accreditation of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) as an ‘A’ status National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) for 18 months on the basis that the selection and appointment process for statutory appointees did not fully comply with the United Nations General Assembly Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (the... More
    Closed 22 August 2023

  • Updates to the Guidelines for NGOs: Working with trafficked people

    Please read the following information carefully before starting the survey. The Guidelines for NGOs: Working with trafficked people (NGO Guidelines) were developed by members of the National Roundtable on Human Trafficking and Slavery to help non-government organisations working with people who have experienced human trafficking, slavery or slavery-like practices, including forced marriage. We are updating the NGO Guidelines to ensure that they: are aligned with and informed... More
    Closed 20 August 2023
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