ACT Law Soc urges members to consider impacts on workplace policies
The ACT Law Society has urged its members to familiarise themselves with the Legal Profession (Solicitors) Conduct Rules 2026, which will take effect on 1 July 2026, following a consultation period that ran from May to June 2026.
The law society specifically encouraged its members to peruse the resources in its AML/CTF Hub and consider any adjustments needed for their workplace policies, procedures, and internal training to comply with the amended rules once they come into force.
In its news release, the law society announced that it had adopted amendments to the rules after national-level discussions via the Law Council of Australia regarding the effects of the anti‑money laundering and counter‑terrorism financing (AML/CTF) reforms.
Through these changes, the law society said it seeks to:
In its news release, the law society noted that its Council meeting discussed the following matters, among others, during its latest meeting:
Regarding pronoun use, the law society said it weighed the input received during the 2025 consultation process and contemporary legislative drafting practice.
Regarding the issues on AML/CTF reforms and unpaid work experience, the law society explained that these matters exceeded the scope of the amendments considered during the consultation period. The law society added that it might issue guidance relevant to unpaid work experience.
Regarding r. 8, the law society said changes to the Law Council’s Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules Guidelines and Commentary could more appropriately respond to this suggestion. The law society noted that it referred this issue to the Law Council for its consideration.
The law society expressed gratitude to all its members who provided their input during the consultation period.
