‘We are taking more cases to court’: ASIC Chair Joe Longo
According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), from July to December 2025, it secured a historic $349.8m in court-ordered civil penalties and $583m in remediation, refunds, and payments delivered back to Australians in connection with its work.
“Today, ASIC is one of the most active law enforcement agencies in the country,” said Joe Longo, ASIC chair, in a media release. “We are taking more cases to court, achieving record penalties, and protecting consumers.”
According to new data from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025, ASIC achieved a six-monthly record in terms of court-imposed civil penalties, following cases against Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), National Australia Bank Limited (NAB), Construction and Building Unions Superannuation (Cbus), RAMS Financial Group Pty Ltd, and Australian Unity Funds Management Limited, among others.
ASIC noted that the $349.8m figure excluded proposed or agreed civil penalties that are still subject to court approval in 2026.
“ASIC has secured record penalties in response to serious misconduct, and is protecting Australians and safeguarding trust and confidence in Australia’s financial system,” Longo said.
According to the figures from July to December 2025, in relation to ASIC’s work, Australian customers and investors will recover a total of $583m in remediation, refunds from excessive bank fees after its “Better and Beyond” review, and payments relating to investigations into the Shield Master Fund and the First Guardian Master Fund.
Per its enforcement and regulatory update for the second half of 2025, ASIC:
From July to December 2025, ASIC recorded the payment of $6.9m from infringement notices and $137,315 in criminal fines.
Regarding its criminal enforcement work for breaches of Australia’s financial services laws, ASIC shared that the Supreme Court of Western Australia imposed 14 years of imprisonment on a West Australian fraudster. ASIC noted that this case is still subject to appeal.
“This is the highest prison sentence imposed by an Australian court in relation to an ASIC criminal investigation,” Longo said in ASIC’s media release.
ASIC noted that data from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025 showed a 28 percent increase in reports of misconduct (ROMs), compared with the previous six months.
ASIC also highlighted its ongoing simplification work to reduce regulatory complexity, as well as reforms with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) to promote confidence in the country’s critical market infrastructure.
“While 2025 was a significant year, our work continues in intensity in the year ahead,” Longo said.
