Law reform
Be careful, be very careful …..
Statements by ministers of “expectations” of their designated government agency have been around for a while. They are said to assist ...
Official Receiver role in corporate insolvency – a second go? [updated]
Among other law reform ideas, I have been writing about the need for an Official Receiver role in corporate insolvency ...
Where’s bankruptcy nowadays?
On a quick review of my website, and with the annual AFSA summit coming up on 5 November, it is ...
Sole trader in bankruptcy for 3 years, but at least she had 28 days to respond
Why are we looking at minor reforms in bankruptcy when provisions in the Bankruptcy Act described as fictitious, artificial and ...
Domestic violence and abuse as a defence to director mismanagement
Some years ago there was an unfortunate and unsuccessful defence made by a director of a company that she did ...
ASIC’s focus on gender
As with AFSA, ASIC has now responded to the 2021 “diversity” reforms by focusing on gender balance in the pool ...
Public interest funding for external administrations? depends on how
The Bathla Group insolvencies has prompted ARITA to highlight what it says is “a longstanding issue for Australia’s insolvency system: ...
Bankruptcy numbers; bankruptcy reform
The numbers of personal insolvencies in 2025-2026 (13,465) have increased from those in 2024-25 (12,257) but they still remain low, ...
Business reporting requirements – Productivity Commission inquiry
The government has asked that the Productivity Commission to undertake an inquiry into opportunities to improve the efficiency and value ...
Who is to operate and fund insolvencies?
A threshold issue in relation to the design and operation of any insolvency regime is as to who operates it ...
Government delays in responding to law reform reports
The delay in the federal government responding to the 2023 PJC Report on Corporate Insolvency until now, over 3 years ...
Insolvency law reform – now patiently awaiting the Productivity Commission
Despite government responses to parliamentary committee reports being required within three months we now have a government response to the ...
Association of Independent Insolvency Practitioners – annual conference 2026
I was pleased to have been invited to contribute at two sessions at the AIIP annual conference in Canberra on ...
“Bankruptcy on a Budget” – what’s going on in the Netherlands is relevant here
An interesting article on Dutch bankruptcy law by respected insolvency academic Dr Jessie Pool[1] at Leiden University, and what she ...
Legislative evidence of a barrier to business dynamism – s 588GAAC?
There must be some irony in the government asking the Productivity Commission, on the one hand, to inquire into “barriers ...
Anti-money laundering guidance for insolvency practitioners …
How designated services apply to insolvency practitioners | AUSTRAC This guidance from AUSTRAC explains how Anti-Money Laundering obligations under the ...
Australian Productivity
Interesting comments from our Productivity Commission chair Danielle Wood are going the rounds about our low economic productivity, with Australians’ ...
Insolvency aspects of the Productivity Commission’s Business Dynamism Inquiry
In its inquiry into barriers to business dynamism, the Productivity Commission has now called for submissions on a range of ...
Coercive control claim in a bankruptcy
A woman made bankrupt in 2022 was unsuccessful in having her bankruptcy annulled under s 153B of the Bankruptcy Act ...
A productivity focused insolvency inquiry
The government has referred a productivity inquiry to the Productivity Commission – Regulatory barriers to business dynamism, one factor to ...
Insolvency law reform – some views
With the 3 year anniversary of Australia’s 2023 Parliamentary Joint Committee Report on Corporate Insolvency coming up,[1] and with the ...
Shedding light on the dark side of insolvency practice
The Assistant Treasury Minister Dr Andrew Leigh has given support for the need to have good data to inform and ...
Australia, ambitious?
The Ambitious Australia: Strategic Examination of Research and Development final report of 17 March 2026 promotes the need for greater ...
The history of innovation, excluding the Hills Hoist
I was pleased to have attended the launch of The shortest history of innovation by Dr Andrew Leigh MP at ...