Australian Competition Law Reform Now in Force

After four years of consultation and debate, some of the most significant reforms to Australia’s competition laws have come into effect on 6 November.

The reforms, introduced by the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Competition Policy Review) Act 2017 and the inter-related Competition and Consumer Amendment (Misuse of Market Power) Act 2017, are the culmination of a process that began in September 2013, with the government’s announcement of a ‘root and branch’ review of Australia’s competition laws which resulted in the Competition Policy Review, commonly known as the Harper Review after its chair, Professor Ian Harper.