Courts professions and regulation

Try to resolve unpaid debt early, and leave insolvency as a “last resort”

Each of AFSA, ARITA and Financial Counselling Australia has issued a statement calling for better processes for resolution of claims

Insolvency practitioner remuneration revisited

International Insolvency Research Symposium.M Murray.RemunerationRevisited July 2022 – final This is a paper I gave at the recent International Insolvency

Reprimand and more for a liquidator – that’s about as much as we know

By a media release ASIC has reported that a disciplinary committee has decided to reprimand a liquidator, Nicholas Crouch, under

Insolvency practitioner [over]-regulation in Australia – an update

While the UK is reviewing its insolvency practitioner (IP) co-regulation system, Australia’s direct regulation, with minimal but expansive co-regulation, might

Who should pay for the costs of the administration of an insolvency?

A debtor in Australia pays no fee to have themselves made voluntarily bankrupt. If that does not seem odd, then

“The [too high] costs of insolvency”?

The Age newspaper in Australia has reported on what it describes as the “often extremely heavy” costs in administering insolvencies

Insolvency practitioner regulation – an Australian story

With the UK government rethinking the regulation of its insolvency practitioners (IPs), moving away from co-regulation to a system more

UK insolvency review – “better outcomes from insolvency and increased returns to creditors”?

The first and rather glowing report on the operation of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 has been issued

Judicial Impartiality Final Report – still under wraps

The Australian Law Reform Commission handed its Judicial Impartiality Final Report to the Attorney-General, Senator Michaelia Cash on 6 December

ASIC’s power to wind up abandoned companies – a drop in the ocean?

ASIC has revised its guidance on the exercise of its powers to order the winding up of an abandoned company,

Government’s law reform of schemes of arrangement a “complete waste of resources when the core problem brewing is in the SME market”

Some may agree or not with the “blunt” submission of an Australian liquidator and trustee on the government’s review of

Diversity and inclusion in insolvency

Diversity in the qualifications, experience, knowledge and abilities of those in the insolvency industry is the subject of this article,

A recusal application dismissed; ALRC report on Judicial Impartiality awaited

Justice Steven Rares of the Federal Court of Australia has rejected an application to recuse himself from hearing a matter

Small business insolvency advice via the Ombudsman

The federal government’s current focus on personal insolvency law reform coincides with Small Business Month in NSW and the Small

“Voluntarily becoming bankrupt” – the new bankruptcy process

A person goes voluntarily bankrupt in Australia by completing an online “Bankruptcy Form” with the Official Receiver. What is now

Deregistered / dissolved companies – let them be?

The UK Insolvency Service has been granted new investigative and disqualification powers to regulate directors who ‘dissolve’ (in Australian terms,

Deregistered/dissolved companies – let them be?

The UK Insolvency Service has been granted new investigative and disqualification powers to regulate directors who ‘dissolve’ (in Australian terms,

Insolvent insolvency practitioners?

An Australian insolvency industry body – ARITA – has suggested that the law should be changed to allow insolvency practitioners

UK’s proposed single insolvency regulator – beware Australian comparisons [revised]

After some long period of deliberation, the UK government has decided to itself take a direct role in the regulation

Australian bankruptcy statistics 2019-2021

Numbers of Australia’s 3 year long bankruptcies were down 46.7% in 2020-2021, producing an average dividend of only 1.63c/$.  The

Unconscionable and immoral corporate conduct – nothing personal

In imposing a $153 million penalty on the Australian Institute of Professional Education, already in liquidation, for its “deliberate and

Any insolvency remuneration review as sought by ASIC “would be unprincipled and ultimately, wholly pointless”

From the opening paragraphs, one can foresee the outcome of this decision, about ASIC’s “unprincipled and pointless” intervention to deny

High level of business bankruptcies in construction and retail

Latest figures show that nearly 60% of personal bankruptcies in the construction industry were involved in a business, with those

Proposed New Zealand law restricting investigating accountants taking insolvency appointments

A bill introduced into the New Zealand parliament would mean that if ABC Insolvency Firm took a role as investigating