Have your say on Australia’s foreign bribery reforms
The Albanese Government is inviting submissions to the statutory review of the operation of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Combatting Foreign Bribery) Act 2024 (the Act).
Foreign bribery is corruption. It is a global problem that distorts markets, harms communities, impedes economic development, and undermines the rule of law.
In 2024, the Albanese Government introduced the Act to address longstanding challenges with investigating and prosecuting cases of foreign bribery.
The Act strengthened the offence of bribing a foreign public official to remove barriers to enforcement and established a new corporate offence of failing to prevent foreign bribery.
The review will examine the operation and effectiveness of the Government’s historic amendments. It will also consider whether further reforms are necessary or desirable to improve the operation or enforcement of Australia’s foreign bribery and related offences.
The review will be conducted by a panel comprised of Ms Sarah Chidgey, Deputy Secretary of the Integrity and Security Group, Attorney-General’s Department and Ms Hilda Sirec, Deputy Commissioner National Security Investigations, Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Further information on the review, including the terms of reference, consultation paper and information on how to make a submission, is available on the Attorney-General’s Department’s Consultation Hub.
Consultation closes on 10 September 2026, with the outcome of the statutory review set to be provided to the Attorney-General by 31 December 2026.
Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General, Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
“The Albanese Government is committed to stamping out all forms of corruption – whether in the public sector or private sector.
“Foreign bribery is an insidious crime that causes harm across the world.
“The Government is committed to combatting foreign bribery and ensuring our laws are effective in detecting, investigating and prosecuting foreign bribery.
“I encourage businesses, experts, and community members to contribute their views to the review.”