From Transparency to Criminal Liability: Modern Slavery as Corporate Crime
About this Event
2026 Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC) pre-conference workshop
To-date, Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) has relied on largely voluntary action to identify and address modern slavery in the supply chains and operations of private and public entities.
In July 2026, the Australian Government proposed a significant shift: a new criminal offence for large companies that fail to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains, alongside a defence for businesses that can demonstrate they took reasonable preventive steps.
So, what would this mean in practice?
This interactive workshop brings together academics, practitioners, policymakers, businesses, unions, community and lived-experience voices to explore what an effective failure-to-prevent regime could look like.
Together, we will ask: What would it take to move corporate responses beyond compliance and drive meaningful change for workers and victim/survivors?
Join us for a timely and practical conversation about the future of modern slavery regulation in Australia and what meaningful accountability could look like.
Provisional schedule:
9.00 – 9.15 Registration and tea/coffee
9.15 – 9.30 Acknowledgement of country, opening and outline of workshop
9.30 – 10.00 Session 1 - How did we get here? From transparency without accountability to criminal liability
10.00 – 10.15 Session 2 - The proposed offence: What is changing and what remains unresolved?
10.15 – 10.45 Interactive exercise 1: Put the offence to the test
10.45 – 11.00 Expert reflections: What taking ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent modern slavery involves
11.00 – 11.15 Coffee Break
11.15 – 11.45 Session 3 - Corporate criminal liability in practice: Accountability and enforcement
11.45 – 12.15 Interactive exercise 2: Justice for workers
12.15 – 12.30 Expert reflections: What meaningful remedy looks like for workers and survivors
12.30 – 12.45 Collective synthesis: Principles for an effective failure-to-prevent regime
12.45 Workshop Close
A list of speakers will be added closer to the event – please check back.
Please note: places are limited and catering will be provided based on registration numbers. If you can no longer attend, please cancel your registration as soon as possible so that your place can be offered to another participant. Please advise of any dietary requirements at registration.
This event is a pre-conference workshop for the . If you wish to also attend the main conference on 1-3 December 2026, please .
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
AUD 0.00
