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AI-detected issues

Legislative Absurdities

Logical flaws, contradictions, and impossible compliance requirements found by AI analysis across Australian legislation.

AI-generated legal information, not legal advice. Zoe can make mistakes. Check the cited sources, and before you act on this, rely on it, or use any draft, get a qualified Australian lawyer to check it.

Jurisdiction

58Absurdities

8Contradictions

54High Severity

537 of 584 eligible titles analysed92%

21 awaiting substantive source text · 5 awaiting billing reconciliation

Environment Protection Act 1997ACT

Analysed 2 Oct 2026

highImpossible compliances Sections 52(1)(a), 52(2)(a) and 53

An unlimited accredited environmental authorisation cannot take effect through the stated fee pathway because no applicable annual fee liability is created for it.

Source evidence

for a standard environmental authorisation or an accredited environmental authorisation— (i) an unlimited period; or

if the annual fee under section 53 for the first year of the authorisation is payable as a lump sum—the fee is paid;

The holder of a standard environmental authorisation granted for an unlimited period is liable to pay an annual fee for each year or part of a year that the authorisation is in effect.

mediumOthers Section 91E(2)(b)(v)–(vi)

These paragraphs refer to assessment documents under section 91D, but section 91D concerns remediation and creates no assessment under that section.

Source evidence

order the appropriate person to remediate the land;

a report of the outcome of an assessment under section 91D (1);

Utilities Act 2000ACT

Analysed 1 Oct 2026

mediumOthers 243(3), read with 242(1)–(2)

The identity-card duty refers to people appointed under a subsection that does not appoint anyone.

Source evidence

a person appointed by the director-general;

A territory service authorised person must exercise the person’s functions under this part in accordance with the conditions of appointment (if any) and any direction given to the person by the appointer.

The director-general must give each territory service authorised person appointed under section 242 (2) an identity card stating the person’s name and that the person is a territory service authorised person.

Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008ACT

Analysed 30 Sept 2026

highRetroactive impossibilitys Sections 30(1)(c)(i), 30(2) and 32(1)(c)(ii)

The written-notification deadline can expire before the person receives and cancels the invalid supply authority.

Source evidence

the person is given a supply authority for the supply of the substance;

the supply authority was issued by someone who was not authorised to issue it;

not later than 24 hours after the relevant circumstance under section 30 happens, the person fails to—

Biosecurity Act 2023ACT

Analysed 29 Sept 2026

highOthers Sections 120, 121, 127 and 131

The ordinary approval pathway cannot confer any of the four statuses for which an application may be approved.

Source evidence

biosecurity certifier means— (a) a person approved as a biosecurity certifier by— (i) the director-general under section 121; or (ii) a certifier authority; or

certifier authority means— (a) a person approved as a certifier authority by the director-general under section 121; or

The director-general may, by written notice, approve an authorised person as a biosecurity certifier or biosecurity auditor.

Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) Act 2009ACT

Analysed 29 Sept 2026

highOthers Sections 15(a)–(c), 41, 42(1)(b), 43(2) and 46

No registration day is defined for a worker registered following an employer’s application under section 41.

Source evidence

an employer applies under section 41 for the registration of a person as a worker for a covered industry.

If the registrar’s decision is to register the person as a worker for a covered industry, the notice must state the person’s registration day.

registration day— (a) for a worker who applies to be registered under section 40— means the day the application for registration as a worker for a covered industry was received by the registrar; and (b) for a worker who the registrar registers under section 44— means the day the worker’s name is4.1;

Agents Act 2003ACT

Analysed 28 Sept 2026

highOthers 51(1)(b) and 51A(2)

The disqualification trigger refers to a finding that section 51A does not authorise.

Source evidence

for registration of a person as an assistant real estate agent—is found unsuitable to be licensed under section 51A;

The commissioner for fair trading may decide the person is unsuitable to be registered as an assistant real estate agent.

highOthers 157(1) and 155(1)

The insufficiency mechanism depends on amounts payable under a subsection that creates no payable amount.

Source evidence

Family Violence Act 2016ACT

Analysed 28 Sept 2026

highOthers 113(e) and 47(1)

Section 113(e) applies a nonexistent provision, section 47(1)(b), to a court-initiated interim order.

Source evidence

section 47 (1) (b) (Interim order sought) applies to the order;

If the Magistrates Court receives an application for a protection order and an interim order is sought, the court must set a return date for the hearing of the interim order which is not later than 2 days after the day the application is received.

Associations Incorporation Act 1991ACT

Analysed 27 Sept 2026

mediumImpossible compliances Section 70B definition of required statement, read with sections 73(1)(a), 74(2)(b), 75 and 76

The permitted audit path for a medium association cannot produce an audited required statement as defined because section 70B incorrectly requires that audit to occur under section 75, which governs reviews.

Source evidence

for a medium association—reviewed or audited in accordance with section 75

for a medium association—the association’s accounts for the financial year are reviewed or audited by an auditor

This section applies if an auditor is appointed by a medium or large association to audit the association’s statement of accounts.

Gene Technology Act 2003ACT

Analysed 11 Sept 2026

mediumOthers Section 138(1A), read with sections 72A, 72B, 8A and 8B

Section 138(1A) requires information about emergency dealing determinations “made under section 72B”, but ACT section 72B contains no operative power to make a determination.

Source evidence

An emergency dealing determination in force under the Commonwealth Act, section 72B applies, as far as applicable, as a law of the Territory.

72B Minister may make emergency dealing determination

in relation to each emergency dealing determination made under section 72B:

Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001ACT

Analysed 10 Sept 2026

highImpossible compliances 27B(2)(b)(iii)

A cancellation notice must be provided within 2 days after a suspension takes effect, although cancellation need not produce any suspension event.

Source evidence

notice of suspension or cancellation given to the person

within 2 days after the day the suspension comes into effect

highOthers 129(1)-(2)(d), read with 119(5)

Section 129 converts section 119’s operative reference to the Road Transport (General) Act 1999 into an unrelated reference to this Act.

Property Developers Act 2024ACT

Analysed 10 Sept 2026

highImpossible compliances Sections 52(1)(a)(ii), 52(2) and 49(1)(a)

The director-order pathway lacks the notice required to make the order when an order has already been given to the corporation.

Source evidence

if a rectification order has not been given to the property developer—give each person a proposed rectification order notice in accordance with section 48 as if they were the property developer;

make a rectification order in accordance with section 49 against each person as if they were the property developer.

has given a property developer a proposed rectification order notice in relation to residential building work;

Unit Titles Act 2001ACT

Analysed 9 Sept 2026

highSelf-contradictings Dictionary definition of “interest”, paragraphs (a) and (c)

The definition both includes and excludes interests in a unit lease.

Source evidence

means a legal or equitable estate or interest (whether registered or unregistered) in the lease of the unit or of the common property;

but (c) does not include an interest in a lease of a unit.

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Home/Absurdities

AI-detected issues

Legislative Absurdities

Logical flaws, contradictions, and impossible compliance requirements found by AI analysis across Australian legislation.

Legislative Absurdities

Logical flaws, contradictions, and impossible compliance requirements found by AI analysis across Australian legislation.

Jurisdiction

58Absurdities

8Contradictions

54High Severity

537 of 584 eligible titles analysed92%

21 awaiting substantive source text · 5 awaiting billing reconciliation