Review of modern slavery offences in the Criminal Code
Australia’s Criminal Code is a set of laws that talk about criminal offences. The Code has different Divisions about specific criminal offences.
The Australian Government is reviewing Divisions 270 and 271 of the Criminal Code. These are about human trafficking, slavery, and slavery-like offences.
Inclusion Australia was part of a public consultation with the Attorney-General’s Department to talk about the different issues the review will consider.
We also made a submission highlighting issues to consider to strengthen Australia’s modern slavery laws and make sure people with an intellectual disability are not left out.
Some things we think the laws need to consider include:
- Barriers that make it hard for people with an intellectual disability to have choice about their employment in Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs)
- Whether people have access to Supported Decision Making when making choices about getting or leaving their job in an ADE
- What kind of power imbalances might exist in an ADE that make it hard for people to make their own decisions about their employment
The Attorney-General’s Department released a discussion paper about the review.
You can read it here: https://consultations.ag.gov.au/crime/modern-slavery-offences/user_uploads/targeted-review-of-divisions-270-and-271-of-the-criminal-code.pdf