Australian Law Forum, Lawyers Weekly – Speech

I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land we are meeting on, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and recognise and pay my respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

I am delighted to be here as Australia's 40th Attorney-General and to join you at the inaugural Australian Law Forum.

I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the nation’s first law officer. As I’ve said before, it says everything that is great about Australia that a girl from Western Sydney can study hard, work hard, and become the First Law Officer of the land.

I am committed to upholding the rule of law, enabling access to justice and promoting and maintaining public trust in Australia's legal system.

I started my legal career over 25 years ago and understand the need to constantly learn and adapt to changes in the regulatory landscape.

Before entering Parliament, I worked in the private sector for 10 years, specialising in competition and regulation law, with a focus on telecommunications. I undertook several secondments to the in-house legal teams of clients, which were all incredibly rewarding.

I bring that insight and knowledge to my current role, understanding the vital work and importance of Australia’s legal professionals.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of today’s conversation about the opportunities, challenges and innovations shaping the future of Australia’s legal sector.

The Government wants to deliver change that impacts people’s lives and makes a positive difference which can be felt. As Attorney-General, I am focused on delivering priorities that matter to all Australians and will make a positive and tangible impact on people’s lives.

This includes:

• upholding the rule of law and promoting trust in our legal institutions, including breathing contemporary life into the well-founded legal principles that underpin the rule of law through new tranches of policy reform and civics education
• improving the experience of all Australians, particularly those who are disadvantaged, who interact with the legal system, and
• enhancing delivery across government, including through artificial intelligence and other technology, while ensuring it is implemented safely, lawfully and responsibly.

At a time when democracy is being challenged around the world, the community’s trust in the integrity of our legal institutions and justice system is paramount.

A key responsibility of my role as first law officer is to safeguard and promote the foundational rule of law principles underpinning our democracy.

All members of the Australian community are bound by and entitled to the benefit of the law. The rule of law requires the Government to be accountable for its actions, make rational decisions and protect human rights. 
It is also critical to ensure that our justice system is accessible to Australians when they need it. This ensures trust in our systems, as does ensuring our system remains open and transparent.

Australia is a vast country, spanning metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities.

The federal courts continue to work to enable access to justice across Australia, delivering a future-ready, accessible and open legal system through digital case management, video conferencing capability, digital courtrooms and live streaming hearings.

These streamlined and innovative processes help to deliver justice that is efficient and compassionate – supporting Australians to resolve disputes quickly, reduce costs, and move forward with confidence.

It is also essential that our laws are fit-for-purpose and continue to be reviewed to ensure they reflect our contemporary society.

I would like to acknowledge the integral role of the Australian Law Reform Commission in providing law reform advice to the government to support this goal, and I know that you will shortly hear from the President of the Commission, the Hon Justice Mordy Bromberg.

As we all recognise, one of the biggest developments to have occurred in recent years is a technological one.
The birth of generative artificial intelligence.

AI is now here.

And it is having a dramatic impact on our lives, our country, and the world around us.

The technology is developing rapidly.

It was only a few years ago, in November 2022, that ChatGPT was first released to the general public.

Now, in 2025, we have seen the release of AI agents that can perform actions in response to users’ requests, from making reservations to researching and drafting documents. It shows just how far we have come in such a short period of time. 

And times certainly have changed.

Not so long ago, a big development for law students was legal judgments becoming available in a digital format, no longer requiring students to spend inordinate amounts of time photocopying documents.

I know this was particularly revolutionary during my time as a young lawyer, and I’m sure many joining us here today would reflect on the infancy of digital technologies at the start of their careers, compared to the capability we now enjoy today.

I marvel at the possibilities that young people in Australia are presented with in the digital age we live in today.
And it is these possibilities that government seeks to crystallise.

The Government is motivated to capture the opportunities of AI to unlock the positive benefits of the technology for all Australians – and ensuring that Australia has a regulatory environment that facilitates innovation, while mitigating harms.

In the legal sector specifically, AI brings the potential for positive innovation – and some obvious risks. 
Ensuring access to justice and legal outcomes for vulnerable Australians is an issue that I am deeply passionate about. I believe that the way we treat our most vulnerable citizens, is how we should measure ourselves as a nation.

And AI has great potential to increase the accessibility and reduce the costs of legal services – arming lawyers, including community lawyers, and policymakers with new tools that will allow the legal profession to provide high quality legal services to more Australians, including the most vulnerable Australians.

I am optimistic that AI can support improved access to justice outcomes for all Australians.

As with any new technology, there are risks with AI if used poorly. Concerns about accuracy, bias, client confidentiality and broader ethical concerns in relation to the use of AI cannot be lightly dismissed.

In fact, it is incumbent on those of us who seek to unlock the benefits of AI to confront these issues squarely so that Australians have confidence in AI, and confidence in our justice system using AI.

Data from a recent KPMG global insights report showed that Australian’s trust in AI is amongst the lowest of surveyed countries.

The report also showed that 83% of Australians would be more willing to trust AI systems with appropriate assurances and safeguards in place.

I believe that regulation and innovation are not mutually exclusive. 
In fact, they go hand in hand.

My department is leading a range of reforms and consultations, to ensure that our legal frameworks remain fit for purpose and robust, and are capable of mitigating risks of AI, including in the areas of copyright, privacy and automated decision-making.

If we establish a regulatory environment that facilitates innovation while mitigating harms, as well as clear support and guidance, then we provide Australians with the tools they need to confidently, innovatively and safely engage with AI, including in the legal sector.

The Government is committed to supporting Australians through this period of significant technological change, harnessing the potential of technologies such as AI, and ensuring that we have the right settings in place to achieve this.

Working together, we are best able to meet the challenges and take the opportunities currently facing the legal profession.

Please enjoy the forum discussions today.

Thank you.