On 10th May 2011 the Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2011 was passed by the Federal Government. The Bill updated the Electronic Transactions Act 1999 in accordance with agreed amendments to the uniform State and Territory electronic transactions legislation.

The Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2011 will enable accession to the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts 2005 by clarifying traditional rules on contract formation to address the needs of new and emerging technologies in e-commerce

The Attorney-General Robert McClelland said, “These amendments are an important step in ensuring Australia’s legal regime is up to date to support and promote firms and businesses operating in the digital economy.”

A full version of the Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill 2011 is available here: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/2010-11/11bd080.pdf