Tackling Human Trafficking in Governments Supply Chains: Legal Certainty and Effectiveness Issues Under the Australian Commonwealth Procurement Rules Model
| Author | Miriam Amanze,Dermot Cahill,Ceri Evans |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0067205X221126554 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
Article
FederalLawReview
2022,Vol.50(4)479–503
©TheAuthor(s)2022
Articlereuseguidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI:10.1177/0067205X221126554
journals.sagepub.com/home/flr
TacklingHumanTraffickingin
GovernmentsSupplyChains:Legal
CertaintyandEffectivenessIssues
UndertheAustralian
CommonwealthProcurementRules
Model
MiriamAmanze*,DermotCahill**andCeriEvans***
Abstract
InternationalorganisationsemphasisehowGovernmentsaroundtheworldmustusethepublic
procurementprocesstoaidaglobaldrivetoeliminatehumantraffickingintheirsupplychains.In
thissignificantandoriginalcontribution,theauthorsexaminealeadingprocurementmodel,the
AustralianCommonwealthProcurementRules(CPR),forthepurposeofexaminingwhetherthe
CPRmodelsatisfiesthenecessarystandardsofLegalCertaintyandEffectivenessforaddressingthe
riskoftraffickingoccurringinpublicsectorsupplychains.Theresearchgeneratesnewinsightsfor
countriesseekingtotackletraffickingviapublicprocurementsystemsandidentifiespitfallsfor
countriestoavoidifseekingtoemulatetheAustraliaCPRmodel,makingappropriatereferenceto
USandUKmodelswhereappropriate.TheauthorsdemonstratehowkeyelementsoftheCPR
modelfailtoprovidefortherequireddegreeofLegalCertaintyandEffectivenesstotackle
trafficking.SystemfailureisdemonstratedbyanalysisoftheCPR,showingeitherhowkeyCPR
provisionsfailtosatisfythese2keytests,orbecausethereisacompleteabsenceofappropriate
provisionstocomprehensivelydealwiththeriskoftraffickinginpublicsectorsupplychains.This
articleshouldservenotonlyasaguidetocountriesyettoaddresshumanrightsconsiderationsin
theirpublicprocurementsupplychains,butalsoasablueprintforcountriesaroundtheworld
seekingtore-evaluatewhetherexistingprovisionsintheirdomesticprocurementframeworksare
fittotackletheglobalscourgeoftraffickinginpublicsupplychains.
Received21June2021
*DrMiriamAmanze,LecturerinLaw,OpenUniversity.Theleadauthormaybecontactedatmiriam.amanze@open.ac.uk
**ProfessorDermotCahill.
***MrCeriEvans,UniversityofWalesTrinitySaintDavid.
IIntroduction
PublicprocurementactivitiespresentGovernmentsandthepublicsectorwithopportunitiesto
usetheirpurchasingpowerasthemediumthroughwhichtopromoteattainmentofsocial,
economicandenvironmentalobjectives,alsoknownasthesustainableprocurementagenda.
1
Typicallyaccountingfor12percentofanation’sGDP,Governmentsandthewiderpublic
sectorasmajorpurchasersofgoods,worksandservicesareinastrongpositiontoleverage
behaviourchangeontheirsuppliers’operationsandsupplychainpracticesinthedrivetoattain
theseworthyobjectives.
2
However,despiteholdingthisstrongleverage,akeyelementofthe
sustainableprocurementagenda—usingprocurementprocessestocombathumantraffickingin
supplychains—hasnottranslatedintosignificantdeploymentattheimplementationlevel.
WhileadvancedeconomiessuchasAustralia,NewZealand,Canada,theUnitedStates(US)and
theUnitedKingdom(UK)haveissuedajointstatementofintentstatingthattheywill‘analyse,
develop,andimplementmeasurestoidentify,preventandreducetheriskofhumantrafficking
ingovernmentprocurementsupplychains’,
3
actualimplementationofmeasuresatthenational
levelhasbeenslow.Additionally,whereanti-traffickingmeasureshavebeenattemptedthrough
thesecountries’respectivenationalprocurementframeworks,theyhaveproven,toadegree,
ineffectiveanddeficient.
4
Inthispaper,theauthorswillanalysethisproblembyexamining,asacasestudy,themeasures
adoptedbytheCommonwealthofAustralia’sfederalprocurementsystemwhichseekstoreducethe
riskofhumantraffickingcontaminatingpublicsectorsupplychains.
5
Guidingthisstudyshallbea
keyquestionpossessingadualfocus:
1.SeegenerallyChristopherMcCrudden,‘UsingPublicProcurementtoAchieveSocialOutcomes’[2004]28(4)Natural
ResourcesForum257;LinLiandKenGeiser,‘EnvironmentallyResponsiblePublicProcurement(ERPP)andits
ImplicationsforIntegratedProductPolicy(IPP)’(2005)13(7)JournalofCleanerProduction,705;LutzPreuss,
‘AddressingSustainableDevelopmentThroughPublicProcurement:TheCaseofLocalGovernment’(2009)14(3)Supply
ChainManagement213.
2.‘PublicProcurement’,OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment(WebPage)<https://www.oecd.org/
governance/ethics/public-procurement.htm>.
3.UKHomeOffice,‘PrinciplestoGuideGovernmentActiontoCombatHumanTraffickinginGlobalSupplyChains’,UK
HomeOffice(PolicyPaper,13
th
March2020)<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trafficking-in-supply-
chains-principles-for-government-action/principles-to-guide-government-action-to-combat-human-trafficking-in-global-
supply-chains-html-version>;AustralianMinistryforForeignAffairs,‘PrinciplestoGuideGovernmentActionto
CombatHumanTraffickinginGlobalSupplyChains’,AustralianDepartmentofForeignAffairsandTrade(Joint
Statement,24September2018)<https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/principles-
guide-government-action-combat-human-trafficking-global-supply-chains>;UKHomeOffice,‘UKGovernment
ModernSlaveryStatement’(CorporateReport,26March2020)<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-
government-modern-slavery-statement>.
4.Forexample,theUSFederalAcquisitionRegulation48CFR(‘FAR’)§22.17(2022)onCombatingTraffickinginPersons
hasbeenheavilycriticisedbyseveralauthorssuchasTaraWoods,‘UtilizingSupplyChainTransparencymeasuresto
TraffickinginPersons:AComparativeAnalysisofSwedishSystems’[2019]48(2)PublicContractsLawJournal423;
JohnGBradbury,‘HumanTraffickingandGovernmentContractorLiability’(2008)37(4)PublicContractLawJournal
907;VictoriaStarks,‘TheUSGovernment’sRecentInitiativestoPreventContractorsfromEngaginginTraffickingin
Persons:AnalysisofFederalAcquisitionRegulationSubpart22.17’(2008)37(4)PublicContractLawJournal879.
5.Traffickingwillbethetermchieflyusedinthispapertodescribeasevereviolationofhumanrightsoccasionedbyuseof
forcedlabour,childlabourandseverelabourconditions(excessiveworkinghours,exposuretoharmfulsubstances,etc)
andisprohibitedbyinternationalanddomesticlaws:seefurthersectionIIbelow.
480FederalLawReview50(4)
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeUnlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations