Author: Adam Simic

The recent conviction of a Knox Grammar Teacher, exposes the tension within the legal system between community concern and unlawful vigilantilism.

As the UK moves to criminalise the creation of AI-generated sexual images without consent the law is sending a clear message that digital abuse is no different from physical abuse, and digital platforms have an obligation to prevent it.

As 2026 approaches, institutional abuse law is entering a period of profound change. This analysis explores evolving liability principles, preventative duties, online risk and sector-wide reform shaping accountability in the year ahead.

As Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is rolled out through X, regulators are once again forced too confront unresoled questions about platform responsibility, AI-generated misinformation, and legal accountability.

2025 was a transormative year for the law in the context of institutional child abuse. In particular, it marked a shift away from symbolic recongition and towards survivor-centred justice. It was also tested by the emergence of new risks and challenges.

Paramaount’s standoff with Netflix as they attempt a billion dollar acqusition highlights the growing risks in the streaming sector around competition law.

The Victorian government is seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision in Bird v DP which held that instituions cannot be held vicariously liable for individuals who are not technically employees.

For decades, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been quietly used by institutions to prevent survivors of sexual abuse from speaking out. While NDAs can serve legitimate purposes they have also been weaponised to conceal patterns of misconduct. While other jurisdictions have now moved to ban or restrict NDAs relating to sexual misconduct Australia still has no clear national framework.

Today, offenders are grooming children, purchasing explicit content, and laundering money through mainstream payment tools designed for simplicity, anonymity and speed. As regulators struggle to keep up, payment platforms have become a hidden highway for exploitation — one that Australia has yet to meaningfully regulate.