Examining the Criminal Regime in Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act 2001

Abstract

 The criminal regime in Chapter 7 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) contains 299 separate offences and is extremely complex. This paper undertakes the first detailed examination of the criminal regime in Chapter 7 in anticipation of an increase in criminal prosecutions of financial services misconduct following the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Superannuation, Banking and Financial Services Industry. The review uncovers a number of drafting anomalies and inconsistencies in the criminal regime. In light of these issues, the paper advocates simplification of the criminal regime and puts forward reform proposals aimed at fostering compliance and observance of the law.