30 June 2010
Norton Rose
In a wave of recent amendments to the Trade Practices Act 1974, the first of three tranches of Australian Consumer Law reforms comes into effect tomorrow and the second tranche was passed by Parliament on Friday.
Read more of the article by Norton Rose.
Reproduced with permission of Norton Rose in accordance with their legal [...]

The first part of the reforms to consumer law via the Australian Consumer Law Bill 2009 received Royal Assent and commenced on 15 April 2010, amending the Trade Practices Act 1974 and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001.
The change has been to introduce civil penalties as opposed to criminal penalties of up to $1.1 million [...]

Mallesons Stephen Jaques
3 March 2010
 The expert panel on the proposed reforms to the unconscionable conduct and franchising provisions of the Trade Practice Act (TPA) has today released its report to the Government. The Government has announced that it agrees with the expert panel’s recommendations and paved the way for “the most sweeping reform” in this [...]

An early Christmas? Phase two blueprints to the Australian Consumer Law released
Mallesons Stephen Jaques
The Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs (MCCA) has foreshadowed another busy year of trade practices reform in 2010 by releasing a Joint Communiqué, which confirms the much-anticipated blueprints for Phase Two of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
 
Read more of the article by [...]

The Brisbane Federal Court has ordered more than $1 million in total penalties against two truck retailers and three individuals in proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for price fixing and market sharing.
 
Read more in the ACCC media release.

Three people who ran an investment advice business without being licensed have been given prison sentences, although all were fully suspended.
Read more in CompliSpace