Australian Modern Slavery Act: What the proposed New "Failure to Prevent" Offence May Mean for Your Business
We unpack the Government's newly announced Modern Slavery Act reforms and what businesses need to do now to prepare a defensible position.
The Albanese Government has just announced the most significant reform to Australia's Modern Slavery Act since it commenced. This marks a decisive shift from transparency reporting to corporate accountability to address modern slavery in corporate supply chains.
Key proposed reforms include:
- Civil penalties for non-compliance with existing Modern Slavery Act reporting requirements
- A new corporate offence for large businesses (turnover over $100 million) that fail to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains
- A "reasonable steps" defence for organisations that can demonstrate robust due diligence and risk management processes
- A forthcoming consultation process on the detailed design of the legislation before it is introduced.
This is one of the most consequential shifts in Australia's modern slavery framework since 2018. Businesses will now need to demonstrate that they've taken reasonable steps to identify, assess and address modern slavery risk across their operations and supply chains.
Join Fair Supply CEO and human rights lawyer Kimberly Randle for a timely briefing to unpack what these reforms mean in practice, and how to start preparing now.
Who should attend
Procurement and category leaders, legal/risk/compliance leaders, ESG and sustainability practitioners, and executives or board members responsible for supply chain risk oversight.
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Meet the Speakers
Meet the Speakers