ASIC

Are pecuniary penalties actually paid?

One enforcement tool of regulators is to obtain a court ordered civil penalty against the respondent company or individual.  That ...

Coercive control and insolvency

ASIC has asked registered liquidators to “stay alert” for signs of family and domestic violence when conducting insolvency administrations.[1]  ASIC ...

ASIC’s civil penalty regime – an academic review

In the midst of a focus on the enforcement activity of ASIC following a critical Senate Committee report,[1] we have ...

ASIC’s revised guidance on insolvency practitioner offence reporting – RG 16

ASIC has issued revised guidance on insolvency practitioner offence reporting obligations – RG 16 External administrators and controllers: Reporting of ...

Splitting ASIC 2024 and the 2010 Senate Committee Report

In the discussions about separating ASIC’s tasks following the July 2024 Senate Economics References Committee report – Australian Securities and ...

Senate report on ASIC’s investigation and enforcement roles – July 2024

The Senate Economics References Committee has issued its Report – Australian Securities and Investments Commission – investigation and enforcement, of ...

Offence referrals by liquidators

Offence referrals to ASIC by liquidators continue to be contentious and perhaps distracted by the issue of claimed automated decision-making ...

Slow pace of litigation and incomprehensible laws

Former Federal Court judge Steven Rares is reported in the AFR[1] as having made several comments about the justice system ...

ASIC v Bettles – case dismissed, with costs

ASIC has lost a major Federal Court proceeding brought against a senior and experienced liquidator, Jason Bettles, alleging that his ...

Updates to ASIC insolvency regulatory guides

ASIC is in the process of updating 4 of its regulatory guides on insolvency, in the next few months, and ...

ASIC beleaguered – updated

Updated 29 July 2023. Given the number of current and on-going inquiries into ASIC, it is as if the regulator ...

Offence reporting by insolvency practitioners

What is said to be the limited response by ASIC to corporate misconduct reports by liquidators is the subject of ...

Cancellation of a liquidator’s registration

While England is still deciding whether to change its system of insolvency practitioner regulation from one of co-regulation by professional ...

Principles of Regulation of Insolvency Practitioners – an international standard

This comment was issued in October 2018; it is re-issued in May 2023, but not updated, for interest. The rather ...

Now we have three Part 5.3B restructuring practitioners

One more person has been appointed as a restructuring practitioner to conduct administrations under Part 5.3B of the Corporations Act ...

ASIC’s insolvency law enforcement role

The Senate Economics References Committee is loading up submissions received on its reference into ASIC’s capacity and capability to “undertake ...

Liquidator discipline outcome – reasons unknown

A discipline committee has cancelled the registration of a liquidator but declined to publish its reasons for doing so. ASIC ...

Penalties imposed on debt agreement administrator for false and misleading, threatening and coercive conduct against debtors

ASIC has succeeded in obtaining penalties against A & M group for false and misleading threatening and coercive conduct against ...

The several inquiries into ASIC

There are now several government inquiries into ASIC, directly or indirectly, perhaps indicating either the breadth of ASIC’s remit, or ...

International insolvency regulators’ conference – some current comparative issues

The International Association of Insolvency Regulators’ Annual Conference was held in England from 26-29 September 2022.  Australia’s reported contribution to ...

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 ...

Association of Independent Insolvency Practitioners’ Third National Insolvency Conference

“Are you ready to rumble” in the insolvency jungle was the opening question at the Association of Independent Insolvency Practitioners ...

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 ...

The UK’s Technical Guidance for Official Receivers – a published resource for Australian practitioners and regulators

The Insolvency Service in the UK has issued an updated version of its Technical guidance for Official Receivers[1] in administering ...