Australia’s Sanctions Reforms: A New Framework Takes Shape

The Australian Government has released an exposure draft of the Autonomous Sanctions Bill 2026 (AS Bill), the centrepiece of the Australian Sanctions Legislation Amendment reforms (ASLA reforms). This is the most significant overhaul of Australia’s sanctions legislation framework since the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 (Cth) (AS Act) commenced.

DFAT have also published a Guide to the ASLA Reforms (Guide), which explains the policy intent underpinning the proposed framework. Further information is available on DFAT’s website.

This note provides an overview of the proposed reforms, highlights key changes for businesses and provides details on how to participate in the consultation process. 

For our previous update on the reform process, see: Review of Australian sanctions laws: Report on potential areas for reform released by DFAT