Executive Briefing: Australian Modern Slavery Act Reforms: What Boards and Executive Teams Need to Know
A briefing for directors and executives on the Government's proposed reforms to the Modern Slavery Act, and what they mean for governance, risk oversight and accountability.
The Albanese Government has announced the most significant reform to Australia's Modern Slavery Act since it commenced. This represents a decisive shift from transparency reporting to corporate accountability. For boards and executive teams, modern slavery exposure is moving from a disclosure obligation to a matter of direct corporate and, potentially, personal liability.
Key proposed reforms include:
- Civil penalties for non-compliance with existing 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. Boards and executives will need confidence that their organisation can demonstrate and defend the steps taken to identify, assess and address modern slavery risk across operations and supply chains.
Join Fair Supply CEO and human rights lawyer Kimberly Randle for a briefing focused on the governance and oversight implications of these reforms and how to start building a defensible position ahead of the legislation being introduced.
Who should attend
Boards and directors, C-suite executives, and senior leaders accountable for enterprise risk, governance and supply chain oversight.
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Meet the Speakers
Meet the Speakers