Law Reporting Act 1981

The Act’s operative concepts are concentrated and repeat across a small number of provisions. The definitions in s 2 and the powers in ss 3-7 are the core.

• "Attorney General" is expressly the Attorney General of Western Australia and is the central decision maker under the Act (s 2). The Act repeatedly vests powers in and imposes requirements tied to the Attorney General (ss 3-6).

• "Law report" is a defined term (s 2). The definition excludes a report of a judicial decision published in a newspaper, other news media or in a professional or like journal where the report is not, and does not purport to be, part of a series of law reports (s 2). That carve out leaves single or occasional media reporting of decisions outside the statutory term "law report", while making a series of reports or a publication that purports to be a law report fall within the regime.

• Authorisation and publication. Section 3 sets out the Attorney General’s power to authorise the preparation, publication and sale of reports of judicial decisions and related works (s 3(a)). Section 6 then creates a threshold control by prohibiting publication or arranging publication of any law report without the Attorney General’s written consent (s 6). The combination of s 3 and s 6 makes authorisation and consent central to whether a body may publish law reports.

• Contracting and State involvement. The Attorney General may contract with private persons, firms or corporations for the purposes of exercising powers under the Act (s 4(1)). Every contract under s 4 must be in the Attorney General’s name and be entered into on behalf of the State (s 4(2)). Those provisions place contractual counterparties into formal legal relationships with the State rather than with a private officeholder.

• Delegation. The Attorney General may delegate almost all powers under the Act by written instrument except the power to make contracts under s 4 and the power of delegation itself (s 5(1)). A delegate’s exercise is deemed to be the Attorney General’s exercise (s 5(2)). Delegations may contain conditions and be revoked (s 5(3)-(4)). The Act therefore contemplates operationalisation of the regime through delegated agents while keeping two functions non‑delegable.

• Law Reporting Advisory Board. The Act creates a Board whose role is advisory to the Attorney General on law reporting and to perform additional functions as delegated by the Attorney General (s 7(1)). The Board’s composition is prescribed, including judicial and Law Society nominations (s 7(2)). Terms, deputies and procedure are governed by ss 8-10.

• Governance mechanics. The Act deals with membership terms (maximum three years and re‑appointment eligibility, s 8(1)), resignation (s 8(2)), deputy appointments for specific nominating authorities (s 9), quorum (4 members, s 10(2)), presiding rules (s 10(1)), record‑keeping (s 10(3)), and the validity of written resolutions circulated to members (s 10(4)).

Those concepts together create a compact statutory architecture that centralises decision-making power in the Attorney General while creating mechanisms,contracting, delegation and a constituted advisory board,to operationalise the publication and ongoing governance of law reporting in the State.

The Act identifies a small and specific set of affected parties by name and effect.

• Attorney General of Western Australia. The Act places primary decision rights and duties on the Attorney General (s 2 definition; ss 3-6). The Attorney General decides who may prepare, publish and sell law reports (s 3), may contract with publishers (s 4), may delegate powers (s 5), and must give written consent to any third party wishing to publish a law report (s 6).

• Potential publishers and existing law report series. Any person, firm or corporation that wishes to commence, continue or arrange publication of a law report of judicial decisions must secure the Attorney General’s written consent under s 6. The Act therefore directly affects private and institutional publishers that produce works that fall within the statutory definition of "law report" (s 2 and s 6).

• The State as contracting party. Contracts under s 4 are in the name of the Attorney General and are entered into on behalf of the State (s 4(2)). Businesses contracting to prepare, publish or sell law reports thus contract with the State, not only with an individual office-holder.

• Judges and courts. The Act explicitly references "reports of judicial decisions of any court in the State" (s 3). The Chief Justice is given a role in nominations to the Board (s 7(2)(a)-(b)). One Board member must be a Supreme Court Judge nominated by the Chief Justice and one must be a District Court or Family Court Judge nominated by the Chief Justice (s 7(2)(a)-(b)). The Chief Justice’s nomination powers create a formal link between the judiciary and the advisory Board.

• Law Society of Western Australia. The Law Society is a named actor with the power to nominate three legal practitioner members for appointment to the Board (s 7(2)(c)). The Law Society’s Council may appoint up to three deputy members (s 9(2)); the Law Society President can designate which deputy will attend in a member’s absence (s 9(2)).

• Appointed members and deputy members. Six Board members are appointed by the Governor on the nomination scheme set out in s 7(2). Members hold office for up to three years (s 8(1)), can resign (s 8(2)), and may be replaced by deputy members in meetings according to the delegation rules in s 9.

• General public and legal profession. While not direct decision‑makers under the text, the legal profession, litigants and consumers of legal information are affected because publication and distribution of authoritative law reports is regulated (s 3, s 6). The availability, format and distribution of law reports will be shaped by the Attorney General’s exercise of the statutory powers and any contracts entered under s 4.

• Government agencies. The State appears as a contracting principal under s 4(2). Any State agency charged with implementing delegation or contract management would be indirectly affected where the Attorney General delegates functions under s 5 or enters into contracts under s 4.

In short, the Act centrally affects the Attorney General, private and institutional publishers of law reports, the judiciary via nomination rights, and the Law Society via nomination rights and deputy appointment rules. All parties who publish works that could be characterised as a "series of law reports" must regard the Attorney General’s consent requirement as a precondition to legal publication of such materials in the State (s 6).

The Act sets out a relatively tight set of duties, decision rights and procedural entitlements for the actors it creates.

Attorney General

• Rights and powers: The Attorney General has the statutory power to authorise preparation, publication and sale of law reports and related works (s 3(a)). The Attorney General may negotiate and perform incidental acts required to exercise those powers (s 3(b)). He or she may enter into contracts with any person, firm or corporation connected with exercising powers under the Act (s 4(1)). The Attorney General may delegate most powers under the Act in writing (s 5(1)).

• Constraints on delegation: The Attorney General may not delegate the power to make contracts under s 4 or the power of delegation itself (s 5(1)). Delegations must be written and signed by the Attorney General (s 5(1)) and may be subject to conditions and revocation (s 5(3)). The exercise by a delegate is deemed to be the exercise by the Attorney General (s 5(2)). The Attorney General also retains the ability to exercise a power even after delegating it (s 5(4)).

• Duty to provide consent: Under s 6, no person may commence or continue the publication of any law report of a judicial decision of any court in the State without the Attorney General’s written consent. That creates a gatekeeper duty for the Attorney General to grant or withhold consent.

Law Reporting Advisory Board

• Advisory duty: The Board’s primary statutory function is to advise the Attorney General with respect to law reporting and the exercise of his powers and duties under the Act (s 7(1)). The Board also performs other functions delegated to it by the Attorney General (s 7(1)). That establishes a formal obligation on the Board to provide advice and to perform delegated tasks.

• Composition and appointment rights: The Governor appoints the six members but nominations come from the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice again for a second judicial nominee, the Council of the Law Society for three legal practitioner nominees, and the Attorney General for one legal practitioner nominee (s 7(2)(a)-(d)). That creates a mix of judicial and legal profession involvement in Board composition.

• Procedural rights and duties: Members hold office for periods not exceeding three years and are eligible for re‑appointment (s 8(1)). Members may resign by written notice to the Attorney General (s 8(2)). Deputy members may be appointed by the nominating authorities and sit in place of absent members (s 9). The chairman presides (or his deputy if absent) and if neither is present the members present appoint a chair for the meeting (s 10(1)). The Board must keep a record of proceedings (s 10(3)), has a quorum set at four members (s 10(2)), and may transact business by circulating papers and resolving matters in writing if a majority of members approve (s 10(4)). The Board may regulate its own proceedings subject to the Act (s 10(5)).

Publishers and third parties

• Consent requirement and limitation on publication: A person must have the Attorney General’s written consent to commence or continue the publication of any law report of a judicial decision in the State (s 6). That is a prepublication control right vested in the Attorney General and a corresponding duty on potential publishers to obtain consent.

• Contracting rights and formalities: Private parties have the right to enter into contracts with the Attorney General under s 4. The contracts must be in the Attorney General’s name and on behalf of the State (s 4(1)-(2)). That gives private parties a contractual route to be authorised to prepare, publish and sell law reports, subject to the State’s contracting processes.

Other rights and duties

• The Act does not create private rights of action or set out enforcement penalties. It imposes duties as described above but does not operate as an exhaustive enforcement code within its text. The Board’s functions are principally advisory and delegated function performance (s 7(1)). The Attorney General remains the central decision maker, including retaining ultimate authority over powers despite delegation (s 5(4)).

Concretely, the Attorney General has gatekeeper duties and contracting powers; the Board has advisory duties and delegated function performance; publishers have a duty to obtain written consent and a contractual pathway; and nominating authorities have nomination and deputy appointment rights. Those are the explicit statutory entitlements and obligations.

The Act contains no express criminal offences, financial penalties, or specified enforcement mechanisms for contravening the consent requirement or other provisions. Its text sets out powers, prohibitions and governance rules but does not specify sanctions, fines, or statutory enforcement procedures.

• No express penalty provisions. The statutory prohibition in s 6 requires that, except with the Attorney General’s written consent, a person shall not commence or continue publication of any law report of a judicial decision of any court in the State. The Act does not, however, specify any penalty, fine or offence provision for contravention of s 6 or any other section.

• No express statutory remedies. The Act does not prescribe administrative remedies, review procedures, or appeal mechanisms tied directly to decisions under the Act, such as refusal to grant consent or the terms of a contract. There is no internal mechanism for judicial review, merits review or appeal described in the Act.

• Delegation and deemed exercise. The Act provides that an exercise by a delegate of a power delegated under s 5 shall be deemed to be the exercise of the power by the Attorney General (s 5(2)). That recharacterisation streamlines responsibility in legal terms but does not itself create or specify enforcement steps.

• Practical enforcement implications. Because the Act lacks specific penalties, compliance and enforcement in practice would rely on alternative legal and administrative mechanisms outside the Act. These might include injunctive relief or civil proceedings under general law to restrain unauthorised publication, contract remedies where a contract exists, or other statutory provisions not contained within the Act. The Act itself does not identify which of those mechanisms should be used.

• Risk of uncertainty. The absence of explicit enforcement language means that the consequences of non‑compliance are not fixed in the statute. The Attorney General’s written consent requirement creates a clear legal prerequisite, but the Act leaves the practical consequences of breaching that prerequisite to other legal domains, not to the Act.

In sum, the Act establishes a compliance obligation and an authorising regime but does not set out penalties or a statutory enforcement regime. Parties affected by the consent requirement must look beyond the Act to understand the legal remedies and enforcement mechanisms that would follow from non‑compliance.

The Act is narrow and internal. It creates a statutory regime for law reporting and includes several cross‑boundary features that connect to other legal domains, principally through contracting, delegation and the State’s role as contracting party. The Act itself does not expressly modify or repeal other laws within its text, but several interaction points are visible from the provisions.

• Contracts on behalf of the State (s 4(2)). Section 4(2) requires contracts to be in the name of the Attorney General and entered into on behalf of the State. That creates a direct intersection with public law and procurement norms. Contracts made under the Act will implicate State contract law, sovereign immunity considerations, procurement rules applicable to State contracting, and any statutory obligations that attach to contracts made by or on behalf of the Crown. The Act does not itself set procurement procedures, dispute resolution processes, or contract standard terms; those matters will be governed by general State contract law and by the terms of individual contracts.

• Delegation and administrative law (s 5). The power to delegate by written instrument (s 5(1)) engages administrative law principles. The Act provides that a delegate’s exercise is to be treated as the Attorney General’s exercise (s 5(2)), and keeps two powers non‑delegable: entering contracts under s 4 and the power of delegation itself (s 5(1)). Delegations may be conditional and revocable (s 5(3)(a)-(b)). The statutory scheme interacts with general administrative law rules governing lawful delegation, the validity of administrative acts, and possible judicial review of delegated decisions. The Act does not, however, itself prescribe standards of procedural fairness or review rights.

• Interaction with judiciary governance and judicial independence. The Board’s composition includes judges nominated by the Chief Justice (s 7(2)(a)-(b)). That places a formal consultative mechanism between the executive (Attorney General and Governor) and the judiciary. The Act does not specify limits on the content of advice or on the independence of judicial nominees once appointed, but the nominated status and appointment by the Governor are explicit.

• Interaction with professional bodies. The Law Society is an express nominating actor (s 7(2)(c)) and can appoint deputy members (s 9(2)). The Act therefore interfaces with the Law Society’s internal governance and representative functions, but does not override the Society’s own governance rules. The Act’s nomination mechanics will need to be operated in accordance with the Society’s statutory or constitutional processes.

• Publication and press law. The Act defines "law report" in a way that expressly excludes newspaper and journal reports that are not or do not purport to be part of a series of law reports (s 2). That carve out interacts with media reporting practices. The Act does not modify communications or censorship law and does not purport to regulate news reporting outside the statutory definition. It does, however, create a regime for publication classified as "law report," which will sit alongside general copyright, defamation, confidentiality and media laws that are otherwise applicable but not referenced in the Act.

• Amendments and subsequent legislation. The compilation table records amendments made by the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act 2004 s 162 and changes under the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 Pt. 15 Div. 3 Subdiv. 7 (compilation table). Those amendments altered s 2 and s 7 (see inline amendment notes). The Act therefore exists in an environment of later legislative adjustments, and any practitioner must consider the current reprint and compilation history when applying the provisions.

Because the Act is short and narrowly focused, most operational interactions with other legal regimes (contracts law, administrative law, procurement rules, media law, professional body governance and the courts’ institutional arrangements) will be determined outside the Act. The Act creates the legal gateway and delegation architecture; the subsidiary legal rules and remedies that will apply sit in general State law rather than in the Act itself.

The compilation notes and inline amendment annotations in the Act identify two later legislative interventions recorded in the text.

• Amendment to section 2. The printed Act includes the bracketed notation "[Section 2 amended: No. 42 of 2004 s. 162(2); No. 21 of 2023 s. 652.]" That indicates s 2 (the interpretation section) was amended by two later Acts: the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act 2004 (No. 42 of 2004) by s 162(2), and the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 (No. 21 of 2023) by s 652. The compilation table provides dates for those amending Acts and commencement.

• Amendment to section 7. The text contains the notation "[Section 7 amended: No. 42 of 2004 s. 162(3).]" That shows s 7 (establishing the Law Reporting Advisory Board and its composition and functions) was amended by the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act 2004 s 162(3).

• Compilation table specifics. The compilation table identifies the original Act as Law Reporting Act 1981, No. 23 of 1981, assented 26 May 1981 and commencing 26 May 1981. It then notes a reprint as at 15 Nov 2002. It lists the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act 2004, No. 42 of 2004, assented 9 Nov 2004 and with commencement details (14 Nov 2005 for specified parts and Gazette citations) and a revocation note for part of a proclamation. It also lists the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 (No. 21 of 2023), assented 24 Oct 2023, with commencement of relevant provisions on 1 Jul 2024 (referencing s 2(d) and SL 2024/34 cl. 2).

• Effect of amendments. The Act’s printed footnotes indicate that at least two amendments adjusted the interpretation section and the Board provision. The inline notes do not state the textual content of those amendments in the compilation excerpt provided here beyond recording that s 2 and s 7 were amended by the cited Acts and sections. The current text of s 2 and s 7 as presented in this compilation reflects those amendments as in force at the time of the compilation.

• Reprints and current version. The bottom-of-document notice states this is a compilation of the Law Reporting Act 1981 and includes amendments made by other written laws. The document is marked © State of Western Australia 2024 and states it is a reprint or compilation including amendments up to that date. The compilation table gives a reprint date (15 Nov 2002) and records later amending Acts and commencement particulars.

For practitioners this means two concrete steps. First, consult the most recent reprint/compilation and the amending Acts cited (Workers’ Compensation Reform Act 2004 s 162 and Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 Pt 15 Div 3 Subdiv 7) to understand the specific textual changes made to s 2 and s 7. Second, be mindful that the compilation notes indicate commencement particulars for the amendments which may affect temporal application and transitional arrangements. The Act as reproduced in the compilation reflects those amendments in force up to the compilation date noted.

The Act itself, as provided in the compilation extract, contains no references to judicial decisions, case law, or litigation interpreting its provisions. The document does not list any cases or provide authority citations.

• No cases named in the text. There are no case names, reported decisions, or judicial interpretations cited within the Act or the compilation notes included here.

• No internal enforcement proceedings. The Act does not include statutory procedures that would generate an internal tribunal or administrative review route that would produce a litigation record within the statute.

• Practical implications. Because the Act establishes an administrative gate (the Attorney General’s written consent under s 6) and contemplates contracts with the State (s 4), litigation could arise in practice: for example, civil proceedings over contractual disputes under s 4 contracts, or injunctive proceedings to restrain unauthorised publication. Those types of disputes would generate case law, but the compilation provided does not record any existing decisions.

• Absence of recorded precedent in the compilation. The absence of litigation references in the Act and compilation means practitioners must look to general civil, contract and administrative case law for guidance on how similar powers, delegations and contract arrangements have been interpreted in Western Australia or other Australian jurisdictions. There is no Act-specific litigation history recorded in the materials provided.

In summary, the compilation contains no litigation history related to the Law Reporting Act 1981. Any litigation involving the Act would arise from external legal processes (contract disputes, injunctions, administrative law challenges) and is not reflected in the statutory text supplied.

The Act’s compactness conceals several practical pitfalls and friction points that a practitioner, publisher or public official should note. These are mechanics and consequences that follow from the text.

• Consent requirement is binary and unsupplemented. Section 6 makes it an absolute statutory precondition to commence or continue publication of any "law report" without written consent of the Attorney General. The Act does not provide criteria, standards, timeframes, or procedural steps for obtaining that consent. Practitioners should note that the absence of statutory guidance creates administrative uncertainty about what the Attorney General must consider and how long obtaining consent will take (s 6).

• Narrow definition of "law report" but broad application risk. The definition in s 2 excludes press or journal reports where the report is not and does not purport to be part of a series of law reports. That exclusion leaves scope for interpretation: a series or publication that purports to be a law report will fall inside the statutory scheme. Publishers must therefore assess whether their format or marketing could be characterised as "part of a series of law reports." The Act does not set out tests for that characterisation (s 2).

• No statutory penalties; enforcement unclear. The Act prohibits unauthorised publication (s 6) but contains no specified penalty or enforcement procedure. That means the legal consequences of non‑compliance will hinge on other legal remedies, typically civil processes outside the Act. The absence of specified sanctions can make practical enforcement unpredictable and may increase transaction costs for potential litigants seeking relief.

• Contracts with the State carry public law overlay. Contracts must be in the name of the Attorney General and on behalf of the State (s 4(2)). Counterparties should expect public‑sector terms, possible procurement obligations and different bargaining dynamics compared with purely private contracts. Public law constraints and State liability principles will apply to disputes under those contracts.

• Delegation exceptions. The Attorney General cannot delegate the power to enter contracts under s 4 or the power of delegation itself (s 5(1)). That means that while operational tasks can be delegated, the Attorney General retains direct responsibility for contracts and the delegation architecture. That structure increases the Attorney General’s administrative control but may slow procurement and contracting processes.

• Deemed exercise by delegate. Any exercise by a delegate under s 5 is legally deemed to be the exercise by the Attorney General (s 5(2)). Delegates should be aware that legal responsibility and potential scrutiny attach to their acts as if the Attorney General had acted. Delegations may include conditions and revocation (s 5(3)).

• Board composition and nomination mechanics affect influence. The Board’s six‑member composition is specified (s 7(2)), with heavy influence from judicial nominations and the Law Society. The Attorney General nominates one legal practitioner member directly. The Governor formally appoints members. Those nomination channels shape who will advise the Attorney General. Vacancy provisions allow the Board to act despite vacancies (s 7(3)), so the Board can continue to function even with incomplete membership, which may affect representativeness.

• Deputy mechanisms can complicate continuity. Nominating authorities can appoint deputies (s 9(1)-(2)). The Law Society may appoint up to three deputy members for its nominees (s 9(2)). Deputy attendance and presiding rules (s 10(1)) mean that a Board meeting’s composition can vary and that deputies may exert the same voting power as principals when attending.

• Written resolutions valid. The Board may transact business by circulation of papers and a written resolution approved by a majority is as valid as a meeting decision (s 10(4)). That enables remote decision‑making but may reduce transparency and public scrutiny of deliberations.

• Term length and reappointment. Members hold office for periods not exceeding three years and are eligible for reappointment (s 8(1)). Short terms may encourage turnover and create ongoing nomination and appointment work.

• No procedural fairness provisions. The Act does not prescribe consultation requirements, disclosure obligations, or reasons for decisions. Parties seeking consent have no statutory right to reasons or to review within the Act itself.

Each of these "gotchas" arises directly from textual features of the Act: the s 6 consent requirement without procedural detail; the s 2 definition; contract and delegation rules in ss 4-5; the Board structure and procedures in ss 7-10; and the lack of penalty or enforcement provisions. Practitioners and publishers should treat these elements as sources of administrative and legal friction that must be managed through contractual terms, administrative practices, and, if necessary, litigation under general law.

The Act sets a small number of clear compliance steps. Parties affected should adopt procedures aligned to the text to minimise legal and operational risk.

For publishers and prospective publishers

• Determine whether your publication falls within the statutory definition of "law report." If your publication is a report of a judicial decision and is, or purports to be, part of a series of law reports, it will likely be regulated as a law report (s 2).

• Obtain written consent from the Attorney General before commencing or continuing publication. Section 6 makes written consent a legal prerequisite. Do not assume that occasional or isolated reporting in newspapers or journals falls within the Act; the definition in s 2 excludes those reports only where they are not and do not purport to be part of a series.

• If seeking authorisation via contract, prepare to enter into a contract with the Attorney General in his or her name and on behalf of the State (s 4(1)-(2)). Ensure your organisation is able to meet State contractual requirements and process timelines.

For contractors and potential contractors with the Attorney General

• Expect the contract to be formal and to be governed by State contracting structures, since s 4(2) requires the contract to be in the Attorney General’s name and on behalf of the State. Budget for public‑sector procurement timeframes, indemnity and liability terms, and any compliance or reporting obligations the State may require.

• Where appropriate, negotiate clear dispute resolution clauses and performance standards into the contract because the Act itself does not prescribe remedies or enforcement mechanisms.

For nominating bodies and appointees (Chief Justice, Law Society, Attorney General, Governor)

• Follow the nomination mechanics in s 7(2) and s 9 for appointment of members and deputy members. Ensure nominated persons meet the qualifications implied by the Act (judges or legal practitioners where required).

• Track term dates and reappointment eligibility, noting the maximum term is three years (s 8(1)). Maintain written records of resignations as required by s 8(2).

For the Law Reporting Advisory Board

• Keep accurate minutes and records of proceedings as required by s 10(3).

• Observe quorum requirements (four members) and presiding rules per s 10(1)-(2). For operational efficiency, utilise the written resolution mechanism under s 10(4) where appropriate, ensuring a majority of members approve circulated resolutions.

• If performing delegated functions from the Attorney General under s 5, ensure the delegation instrument is reviewed and its conditions complied with, and keep a record of delegated acts because those acts are deemed to be exercises by the Attorney General (s 5(2)).

For the Attorney General’s office and delegates

• If delegating powers under s 5, execute delegations in writing signed by the Attorney General and record any conditions and revocations (s 5(1), s 5(3)). Remember that the delegation cannot cover s 4 contract powers or the s 5 delegation power itself (s 5(1)).

• Maintain a centralised record of written consents under s 6 and of contract documents executed under s 4(2), given their formal status as contracts on behalf of the State.

• Put administrative procedures in place to handle requests for consent, including timelines, required supporting documentation, and internal criteria for approval, because the Act provides no statutory procedure for consent and this will mitigate uncertainty.

Risk management and legal strategy

• Because the Act contains no penalty provisions, consider including contractual remedies and express indemnities in any agreements entered into under s 4 to provide clarity on enforcement, termination and dispute resolution.

• When refusing or imposing terms on consent under s 6, provide reasons and a documented process as a matter of good administrative practice, even though the Act does not require it. Doing so reduces litigation risk under general administrative law principles.

• For publishers with doubt about whether content is a "law report," obtain legal advice before publication to avoid the risk of contested publication and potential civil action.

• If in doubt about the scope of the Attorney General’s consent or the terms of proposed contracts, target early engagement with the Attorney General’s office to reduce transaction time and negotiate clear contractual protections.

The statutory compliance picture is simple in outline: do not publish law reports without written consent; contracts with the Attorney General must be in the Attorney General’s name and on behalf of the State; delegation must be in writing and cannot cover contracts; and the Board must follow the governance rules set out in ss 7-10. Because the Act leaves procedural and enforcement detail to other legal domains and to administrative practice, parties should build robust administrative and contractual frameworks to operationalise these statutory requirements.