Amendments are being made to Australia’s e-commerce laws to keep up-to-date with technological changes.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland introduced the Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2011 into the House of Representatives to bring Australia’s electronic transaction legislations into the 21st century.
“I am pleased to announce that the Commonwealth has introduced its version of the Model Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill that was developed and approved by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General last year,” McClelland said.
The Bill will update the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 to reflect internationally recognised standards on electronic commerce.
“These reforms will provide increased legal certainty in trade by electronic means, and will encourage the continual growth of electronic contracting both domestically and internationally,” McClelland said.
The amendments will align Australia’s uniform Electronic Transactions Acts with the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts 2005.
Once the amendments are enacted in all jurisdictions, the Government will move to accede to the UN Convention.