The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade established an Inquiry into Human Organ Trafficking and Organ Transplant Tourism. The Inquiry reviewed the organ trafficking offence in the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) and considered whether it would practicable or desirable for:
- the offence to have extraterritorial application; and
- Australia to accede to the 2014 Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs.
Anti-Slavery Australia recommends the introduction introduction of a new offence of organ trafficking outside Australia, which would explicitly criminalise certain conduct of Australian citizens and residents overseas. It is not recommended that the Australian Government accede to the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs. Anti-Slavery Australia submits that further research is required to address existing gaps in knowledge on organ trafficking in the Australian context.