Continuing fall in personal insolvency numbers
Personal insolvency numbers in Australia have continued their decline, with the 1,012 new personal insolvencies in June 2025 falling by 75 from 1,087 in May
31/07/2025
The ATO as the real Pt 5.3B ‘small business restructure’ regulator?
Some years ago, I wrote an article entitled The ATO as an insolvency regulator,[1] suggesting that with the various insolvency activating powers then available to
25/07/2025
$93m? and 300 creditors? over 20 years? Director disqualified
ASIC has disqualified a director from managing corporations for 5 years in relation to companies trading for over 20 years that were wound up with
22/07/2025
Have corporate rescue laws gone too far? Sydney Law School seminar review
This reports on a review by Dr Arthur Emmett, former Federal Court Judge, of a Sydney Law School seminar questioning whether aspects of the corporate
22/07/2025
Court approval of agreements over 3 months?!
Any productivity review of the insolvency system in Australia would find many opportunities to reduce time and costs, in particular in corporate insolvency. This is
08/07/2025
The interaction of insolvency law and competition policy
My recent article in the Insolvency Law Bulletin concerns what has been described as the clash between market competition policy and insolvency restructuring or ‘rescue’
08/07/2025
Small business – Qué?
Many small businesses seem to operate with the owners oblivious to the legal structure through which they conduct their business. The legal definition hardly seems
03/07/2025
A quiet insolvency scene in small business
The new Minister for Small Business, the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP, will be interested in the latest insolvency figures from ASIC and AFSA, and
01/07/2025
Bankruptcies on a continued decline
Bankruptcy and other personal insolvency numbers look like falling below those of last year, and well below the long-term average. AFSA has advised that “personal
30/06/2025
Legislating in the dark – continued – IMF Report
The 2023 Parliamentary Joint Committee Report on Corporate Insolvency called for the collection and analysis of data in advance of any law reform. The Committee
29/06/2025
ASIC’s report on Part 5.3B – small corporate business restructuring
The small corporate business ‘restructuring’ process under Part 5.3B of the Corporations Act was introduced in 2021, in some criticized haste, consistent with the stated
27/06/2025
Treasury’s role in insolvency law reform
With Treasury now comprising Ministers well qualified in economics,[1] and with a government focused on competition, economic dynamism and productivity, any reform of insolvency laws
19/06/2025
Medium neutral citations of cases – a welcome change
I once caused some consternation at a law librarians’ conference by predicting that the authorised law reports would fade away in the near future. They
17/06/2025
A quarter of new bankruptcies to go to female trustees
The personal insolvency regulator, AFSA, has announced it will increase its gender equity target in the allocation of bankrupt estates to female practitioners, via the
13/06/2025
Continued fall in personal insolvency numbers
Personal insolvencies are continuing their fall in Australia with the April 2025 figures of 1,073 dropping from 1,122 in March 2025. There was also a
30/05/2025
INSOL Academics Barcelona – competition and insolvency law
I was pleased to have presented my topic on the intersection between competition policy and insolvency and rescue law before a distinguished international audience at
25/05/2025
Australian “politicians’ truth crisis” – a disgrace
The ABC reports – Criminologists debunk claims of ‘youth crime crisis’ as data shows dramatic declines – that most youth crime rates have fallen significantly in every
24/05/2025
The economics of insolvency – the pain of liquidation is one way to get economic growth
Pre INSOL post I am pleased to have had my topic accepted for presentation at the INSOL Academics Colloquium in Barcelona on 22 May 2025
15/05/2025
Where’s bankruptcy nowadays?
It is a positive sign that the administration of the Bankruptcy Act has moved from Attorney-General’s to Treasury, sitting with ASIC and corporate insolvency, the
15/05/2025
Insolvency & competition law – INSOL Academics – 22.5.25 – References
Insolvency and competition law – parallel universes, serving contradictory goals, without coordination – INSOL Academics Colloquium 22 May 2025, Barcelona– Michael Murray – References Competition law
11/05/2025
Audit of ATO small business debt recovery
The ANAO is currently conducting an audit of the ATO to assess the effectiveness of the ATO’s management of small business taxpayer debt. The ANAO
07/05/2025
A future where “tax just happens”
A Capability Review of the Australian Taxation Office has been conducted which foreshadows a future where tax obligations are paid automatically in a way that
01/05/2025
Increase in low bankruptcy numbers
Personal insolvencies increased in March 2025 but remain significantly lower than 5 or more years ago – 9,071 for July 2024-March 2025 compared with 16,777
30/04/2025
Insolvency numbers – a positive slant
The Australian newspaper has again given a useful account of corporate insolvency numbers, although slightly premature given that personal insolvency numbers were not out until
29/04/2025