Scope
Entities with ≥A$100m consolidated revenue
Australia · act
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
Penalties
Ministerial naming power; no civil penalties (review recommended adding them)
Last verified
2026-08-22
In plain language
What this law does
Annual Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statement addressing seven mandatory criteria (s.16(1)(a)–(g)), board-approved, signed, lodged within six months and published on the public Register.
Formal requirements
What the law requires
Reviewed provisions grouped by practical purpose. Use the official text for the full legal context.
Who and what it covers
Entities carrying on business in Australia with consolidated revenue ≥A$100m
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) · instrument-level citation
Disclosure requirements
Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statement — s.16(1)(a)–(g), seven mandatory criteria (verbatim)
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — s.16(1)(ajoint statements permitted with Dictionary termConsultationA structured process in which an organisation seeks stakeholder views early enough to inform a decision and then considers and responds to that input.Read the full definition obligations.
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — s.14
Governance
statement must be approved by the principal governing body and signed by a responsible member; given to the Minister within 6 months of year-end.
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — s.13
Enforcement
Minister may request explanation/remedial action and publicly name non-compliant entities
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) · instrument-level citationNo civil penalties currently apply; the statutory review recommended adding them but they have not been enacted.
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) · instrument-level citation
Required documents
Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statements Register (public, online).
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) — s.18
Dictionary
Key terms for this law
Terms with a retained, published connection to this legal source.
- Modern slaveryModern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
Claims
Explore claims affected by this source
Search or filter the reviewed connections, then open one claim for its full market-by-market assessment.
- Free from forced labourDictionary termForced labourWork or service exacted from a person under the menace of a penalty and for which that person has not offered themselves voluntarily.Read the full definition
Why this claim is connected
MS statement must not contradict marketing claim
- Child-labour-freeDictionary termChild labourWork that children are too young to perform or work that, because of its nature or conditions, harms their health, safety, development or education under applicable international and national standards.Read the full definition
Why this claim is connected
Same
- Sweatshop-free
Why this claim is connected
Dictionary termAudit trailAn audit trail is a documented record showing how information was created, changed, reviewed and approved, so that reported data can be traced back to evidence.Read the full definition ; consistency with Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statement.
- Child-labour remediation programme in every sourcing regionDictionary termChild labourWork that children are too young to perform or work that, because of its nature or conditions, harms their health, safety, development or education under applicable international and national standards.Read the full definition Dictionary termRemediationRemediation is the process of addressing, correcting or making good an adverse impact after it has occurred.Read the full definition
Why this claim is connected
Programme data consistent with Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statement.
- Living wages across our supply chain by 2030Dictionary termSupply chainupstream focus (services, transport/logistics excluded)Read the full definition
Why this claim is connected
Data consistent with Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statement.
- 100% of suppliers compliant with our Human Rights Due Diligence by 2027Dictionary termHuman RightsThe universal and inherent rights and freedoms held by every person because they are human, without discrimination.Read the full definition Dictionary termDue DiligenceAn ongoing, risk-based process through which an organisation identifies, prevents, mitigates, tracks and communicates how it addresses adverse impacts, and supports remediation where appropriate.Read the full definition
Why this claim is connected
Consistent with Dictionary termModern slaveryModern slavery is an umbrella term for severe exploitation such as forced labour, human trafficking, slavery-like practices and servitude.Read the full definition Statement.