Anti-Slavery Commissioner issues letter on compliance with the Modern Slavery Act

Today the Anti-Slavery Commissioner has issued a letter to major law firms, advisory firms, and industry bodies regarding business compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth).

All workers in the operations and supply chains of Australian companies deserve to live and work in freedom, and reporting under the Act is intended to help business achieve this goal.

With over 12,500 statements lodged since the reporting requirement came into force, it’s clear that many businesses are engaging seriously with their responsibilities. However, the Anti-Slavery Commissioner remains concerned about the number of entities that are failing to submit a modern slavery statement in line with their obligations under the Act. Estimates of non-reporting entities range from hundreds to over one thousand.

The Anti-Slavery Commissioner is taking proactive steps to promote full compliance with the Act.

The letter outlines:

• the increasing capability of the Attorney-General’s Department to identify non-reporting entities;
• the Government’s agreement ‘in principle’ to introduce penalties for specific reporting failures under the Act, such as failure to report;
• the need for entities to review and meet their reporting obligations under the Act;
• and a call to action to amplify this message.

View the Letter from the Commissioner: Compliance with reporting obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2018.