Do directors’ duties expand to human rights issues?

Damage to a company’s reputation from poor human rights practices may be a breach of directors’ duties.

This paper explores the Australian corporate law framework and director accountability for human rights violations in offshore operations and supply chains. It is based on a longer paper titled ‘Directors' duties to respect human rights in offshore operations and supply chains: an emerging paradigm’, which was awarded the 2017 Baxt Prize by the Law Council of Australia. The author, Riana Cermak, is a solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons.