"Strengthening Australia's Legislative Response to Modern Slavery in Supply Chains": Unpacking the Australian Government's Consultation Paper

On 16 July 2026, the Australian Government announced proposed reforms to the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), through the planned introduction of a new criminal offence for companies failing to prevent modern slavery in supply chains, alongside civil penalties and strengthened enforcement of the Act.

The Attorney-General’s Department released its consultation paper, Strengthening Australia’s legislative response to modern slavery in supply chains on 21 August 2026. Stakeholder feedback is now being sought from the Attorney-General’s Department, with a submission deadline of midnight AEST on 25 September 2026.

If enacted, the proposals will represent a significant shift in Australia's modern slavery regime — from a framework principally focused on corporate transparency and reporting, towards one in which corporations face criminal liability for failing to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains, unless they can demonstrate that reasonable steps were taken to prevent the conduct.

Join Fair Supply CEO and human rights lawyer Kimberly Randle for a timely briefing unpacking the proposed reforms, Fair Supply's position on the proposed framework, and how to participate in the consultation process.

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We want to hear from you
With submissions closing at midnight on 25 September 2026, we'll be sharing Fair Supply's position on the proposed reforms and inviting attendees to provide feedback and optionally, to co-sign as part of our formal submission.

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Who should attend
Procurement and category leaders; legal, risk and compliance leaders; ESG and sustainability practitioners, and executives or board members responsible for supply chain risk oversight.

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Register
Can't make it live? Register anyway and we'll share resources with you afterwards.