Currently in Australia organ trafficking laws which can be found in Division 271 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Commonwealth) do not have extraterritorial effect. This means there are no provisions in Australian law to protect people from organ trafficking and organ tourism which occur overseas by Australians.

On 23 June 2017 The Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade commenced an Inquiry into Human Organ Trafficking and Organ Transplant Tourism. The inquiry examines how the Australian legal system deters organ trafficking and what more can be done to prevent this offence from occurring both in Australia and internationally.

Madeleine Bridgett, Co-Chair of the Business and Human Rights Committee for the Australian Lawyers For Human Rights (ALHR), and Kerry Weste, Vice-President of the ALHR, made submissions to the Inquiry which can be read here.

Madeleine Bridgett was featured in today's Lawyers Weekly.