COVID-19: Modern slavery reporting deadline changes

Enrolling to vote in federal elections was made compulsory in 1912, whereas actual voting was made compulsory in 1924.

A tourist visa essentially allows a person outside Australia to visit the country as a tourist.

The State of Western Australia and the Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation have both filed appeals against a landmark Federal Court decision awarding $150 million in compensation for cultural loss caused by mining operations in the Pilbara region. This unprecedented case marks the first judicial determination of native title compensation for future acts and the largest cultural loss award in Australian history, establishing critical precedents for how compensation is assessed when native title rights

Australian government agencies face a December 2026 deadline to update their privacy policies with detailed explanations of automated decision-making systems. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's new guidance clarifies when computer-assisted decisions trigger disclosure obligations, how human oversight affects those requirements, and what specific information agencies must reveal about the personal data and decision types involved in their automated processes.

Australia's data centre sector is attracting significant foreign investment, but the regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving. Projects now face complex requirements spanning national security reviews, critical infrastructure obligations, energy and water constraints, and social licence considerations that investors must navigate strategically.

Discusses the legal consequences of failure to vote in elections.

Explains Australia's Special Response teams, their training & capabilities, high profile operations & more.

Tabcorp was found guilty of contravening regulations requiring the reporting of suspicious activity to regulators.

The legal definition of genocide in international law is contained in Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide 1948 (Genocide Convention).

The New South Wales Government has released a comprehensive policy framework for data centre investment, establishing six core principles that developments must address while promising streamlined planning approvals. The framework introduces significant new compliance obligations around energy procurement, cost recovery contributions, and demand flexibility, including a $200,000/MW Major Network Upgrade Fee and requirements for renewable energy agreements with minimum 40% wind component.

The Australian Government's exposure draft proposes a proactive, systems-based digital duty of care for online service providers, requiring them to ensure a 'safe online environment' so far as reasonably practicable.

Australia's privacy regulator has issued final guidance on new transparency obligations for automated decision-making systems. From December 2026, organisations using computer programs—including AI, algorithms, and everyday software—to make or inform significant decisions about individuals must disclose these practices in their privacy policies. The guidance reveals a broader compliance burden than many expect, particularly for businesses using automated tools across recruitment, pricing, credit

Australia's Privacy Act reform has reached a critical milestone with the release of exposure draft legislation proposing fundamental changes to how organisations handle personal information. The reforms introduce a new 'fair and reasonable' test for data collection and use, a right of erasure for large digital platforms, strengthened consent standards, a statutory controller/processor framework, restrictions on trading personal data, and enhanced data breach obligations. These changes come at a time when em

The Australian Taxation Office has issued its final ruling on cross-border software payments, dramatically expanding what constitutes a royalty subject to withholding tax. With retroactive application to July 2021 and a broad interpretation of copyright law, multinational companies face significant compliance risks and potential exposure across software distribution, cloud services, and digital intermediation arrangements.

Australia's digital regulatory landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with the proposed digital duty of care joining a complex web of reforms including Privacy Act amendments...

Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has released consultation papers outlining the regulatory framework for the final phase of environmental protection reforms under the EPBC Act. With submissions closing on 13 October 2026 and implementation scheduled for 1 December 2026, these reforms will fundamentally reshape how projects are assessed and approved, introducing streamlined pathways...

APRA and ASIC have issued coordinated guidance on frontier AI risks, requiring financial services boards to demonstrate direct oversight of AI governance, cyber resilience and third-party dependencies. The regulators' expectations build on existing prudential standards and directors' duties, with enforcement signals indicating that proportionate action must be taken before incidents occur.

The Court of Appeal has upheld a landmark decision requiring the Australian Tax Office to return settlement payments totaling approximately $15 million that were funded by proceeds from a breach of fiduciary duty.

The NSW Government has released a comprehensive data centre policy framework establishing new guidelines for electricity network connections, planning approvals, and environmental standards. These reforms require data centres to contribute to network infrastructure costs, procure renewable energy, and demonstrate demand flexibility while offering streamlined approval pathways for compliant projects.

Prime Minister Albanese's speech on 15 July 2026 marked a decisive shift in Australia's approach to artificial intelligence, from voluntary guidance to mandatory national regulation. The announcement establishes Australian Standards for AI, copyright licensing requirements, a national planning framework for data centres, energy obligations, and workplace protections—all underpinned by the concept of sovereign AI.