Law reform

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

Personal insolvency law and policy under the new Labor government in Australia

With the Attorney-General Mr Mark Dreyfus QC in the process of picking up police and other responsibilities from the disbanded

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

The UK new international economic crime laws – and Australia compared

The UK government has just enacted the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 which requires overseas entities holding UK

Insolvency disclaimer or state control – furnaces and coke ovens, pyrophoric iron sulphide and methane, effluent lagoons and asbestos …

The High Court of Australia has dismissed the liquidators’ application for special leave to appeal in Australian Sawmilling because the

FEG claim against receivers over circulating assets

The Fair Entitlements Guarantee [FEG] scheme through the Commonwealth has obtained orders delaying the deregistration of a company to allow

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

Bankruptcy law – no need for prior consent to service by email

Bankruptcy law has been changed to allow service by email without asking the person in advance whether they consent to

Australia’s safe harbour protection from insolvent trading liability, continued

The report on Australia’s safe harbour protection for directors (s 588GA) from what is said to be our strict insolvent

Why do we have preference recoveries in insolvency? – updated

The High Court of Australia (Keane and Gleeson JJ) has granted the liquidators special leave to appeal from the Full

Insolvency returns to creditors and other fictions – reissued March 2022

Insolvencies average dividend returns to unsecured creditors of under 5 cents in the dollar, in some cases, under 1 cent. 

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

Company owners and sole traders

In the government’s proposed 5 year review of the Insolvency Law Reform Act 2016 changes, one particular issue needing attention

Australia’s response to money laundering and terrorist financing – a Bill for a Bill

The Australian parliament’s response to a 2016 recommendation to introduce law to counter money laundering and terrorist financing – by

Australia’s latest MSE and personal insolvency law reform – this is supposed to be a “long-term approach”?

The Australian government seems to be putting the final touches to reforms of its insolvency law regime that commenced with

Proof of service of a bankruptcy notice – why it is, or why is it, so important?

A woman made bankrupt by a federal court registrar exercising judicial authority of the court has had her bankruptcy set

Proof of service of a bankruptcy notice – why it is, or why is it, so important?

A woman made bankrupt by a federal court registrar exercising judicial authority of the court has had her bankruptcy set

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,