Review of Australia’s mutual recognition schemes for workers
30 April 2026
On 16 April 2026, the Law Council provided a submission to the National Competition Council’s review of Australia’s mutual recognition schemes for workers. The mutual recognition framework was established in 1992, allowing a licensed worker to apply for another licence in a second jurisdiction for an equivalent occupation, without the need for further assessment of their qualifications, skills, or experience. This shift has had notable impacts on the legal profession, reducing barriers for practitioners to engage in legal practice in other jurisdictions within Australia.
The Law Council’s submission reflected on how the mutual recognition framework has operated for the legal profession, noting that benefits have extended beyond the practical advantages of being able to operate relatively seamlessly between jurisdictions. These less tangible benefits have included a sense of belonging to a ‘national’ legal profession while not losing connections among jurisdictional-based members of the profession through local professional bodies and regulatory authorities. The Law Council also highlighted benefits to consumers of legal services through mutual recognition, including enhanced expectation of common standards, and consistent consumer remedies and protections regardless of the state or territory in which they reside or obtain legal services.
While the submission points to the overwhelmingly positive aspects of mutual recognition for legal professionals and their clients, it also notes the challenges of harmonising regulatory standards and professional development obligations. These areas have required a significant amount of work to achieve progress towards uniformity and continue to be a key area of focus for the Law Council and its constituent bodies. Importantly, the submission notes that there are well-established relationships of cooperation and collegiality between the various licensing bodies and regulators of the profession in the different Australian jurisdictions, reinforced by well-established and regular interjurisdictional consultation and information-sharing arrangements.
The National Competition Council has been asked to present its findings to the Council on Federal Financial Relations in July 2026.
Last Updated on 28/04/2026
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