- Start Date: 13 August 2026 - 13:30:00
- End date: 13 August 2026 - 15:00:00
Presented by Owen Harris, Accredited Specialist and Gerard Wheeler, Solicitor and Cyber Security Expert
This webinar will be hosted from Sydney at Sydney Eastern Standard Time. All instructions on how to join this webinar will be emailed to you the day of the webinar. Please email info@legaltrainingaustralia.com if you have any questions about this webinar. You need to remain in attendance for the duration of the activity if you would like to receive CPD points.
Summary
This practical CPD session provides an overview of the AML/CTF regime and the obligations that apply to legal and migration practices. Participants will gain an understanding of the legislative framework, customer due diligence requirements, beneficial ownership, risk assessment, suspicious matter reporting, and practical compliance measures. Through real-world examples and profession-specific scenarios, the session will equip practitioners with the knowledge and tools to identify high-risk clients, recognise red flags, and implement effective AML/CTF controls within their practice.
Australia's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) framework is undergoing significant reform, with lawyers and migration agents increasingly recognised as gatekeeper professions responsible for protecting the integrity of Australia's financial system.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this CPD session, participants will be able to:
1. Understand the purpose and structure of Australia's AML/CTF framework and its relevance to legal and migration practices.
2. Identify the AML/CTF obligations that apply to lawyers and registered migration agents.
3. Recognise common money laundering and terrorism financing risks, including high-risk client behaviours and red flags.
4. Apply appropriate customer due diligence (CDD) and Know Your Client (KYC) processes, including beneficial ownership and source of funds checks.
5. Understand reporting obligations, including Suspicious Matter Reports (SMRs), Threshold Transaction Reports (TTRs), and International Funds Transfer Instructions (IFTIs), where applicable.
6. Implement practical AML/CTF policies, procedures and risk-based controls to strengthen compliance and protect their practice.
About Owen Harris
Owen is a former Registered Migration Agent (0851294) and has been providing immigration advice for 15 years. He served on the Ministerial panel advising Assistant Minister Jason Wood.
He is a regular contributor the various online forums, helping many people with his expertise and insights. Prior to becoming a lawyer Owen had 25 years’ experience in IT.
As a former Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Canberra, he taught most areas of law (except migration) to postgraduate law students for over a decade.
About Gerard Wheeler
A qualified lawyer and mediator, Gerard is an accomplished senior leader with extensive migration, cybersecurity, privacy and Digital ID experience.
While Gerard was at ASD/ACSC he developed a desire to proactively contribute to developing platforms that could legally obtain and store data and apply AI/ML to identify actors that breach Australian and International Law.
Further Information
