Alternative enforcement options may include deferred prosecution agreement scheme
The federal government recently opened a public consultation, closing on 25 September 2026, regarding reforms seeking to toughen the modern slavery framework and the legislative response to this issue within modern supply chains.
“Modern slavery is an abhorrent practice, and the Albanese Government is committed to stamping it out,” said Michelle Rowland, Australia’s attorney-general, in a media release.
The government plans to introduce a criminal offence for the “failure to prevent” modern slavery, which will cover larger companies with annual consolidated revenues exceeding $100 million.
For this new offence, companies will be able to assert a defence if they have adopted reasonable steps to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.
The attorney-general’s media release noted that the consultation aims to help the government draft proportionate and fit-for-purpose legislation that both responds to the risks of modern slavery and promotes the compliance of businesses.
“We have opened consultations to hear from businesses, experts and the community about the design and implementation of these measures to protect vulnerable people from modern slavery practices in supply chains,” Rowland said.
According to the media release, the federal government is inviting interested stakeholders and members of the public to visit the Attorney-General’s Department consultation hub website to provide any input and insights regarding:
According to the attorney-general’s media release, the planned modern slavery reforms intend to:
“These reforms will strengthen Australia's robust legislative framework to create incentives for businesses to implement effective prevention measures, without prescriptive compliance obligations,” Rowland said.
Here are some other news stories touching upon modern slavery.
Last July, the federal government shared its plan to introduce a new criminal offence to the Modern Slavery Act to target high-earning companies failing to prevent the use of modern slavery within international supply chains.
In March 2025, the Victorian bar highlighted Fiona McLeod as the recipient of the 10th Pro Bono Trophy for her pro bono advocacy over many years, including in initiatives tackling modern slavery, human trafficking, and justice for First Nations communities.
In November 2024, the federal government announced the appointment of Chris Evans as Australia’s inaugural anti-slavery commissioner in an effort to drive efforts to fight modern slavery across the country.
In March 2023, in celebration of a decade passing since the introduction of modern slavery offences such as forced marriage in the Criminal Code, the federal government announced $2.7m in grants to support modern slavery victims and the organisations tackling the issue.
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