December 2006 saw the release of draft legislation as a result of the Government's review of the Insurance Contracts Act. The review was 'aimed at ensuring the Act continues to meet its original consumer protection objectives and does not discourage insurers from writing policies in Australia'.

The legislation did not become law, and with a change in Government, we do not know if legislative reform will be pursued and if it is, to what extent. Time will tell.

The sixth edition of Minter Ellison's Insurance Contracts Act Handbook was officially launched on Thursday 13 March 2008. This edition is current to the end of December 2007. The main aim of the Handbook is to provide the insurance industry with practical guidance as it is working with insurance policies or insurance claims.

It still has the Insurance (Agents and Brokers) Act because there have been a few new cases on it since the last edition. We have included all cases we could find on both Acts, including Tribunal cases. They can give very practical guidance in the day to day situations which arise.

We have not tackled the Corporations Act provisions relevant to insurance but we have an idea or two for a publication which would be useful in this area. Our starting point could well be the Insurance Intermediaries Guide which we have included in the Handbook to give some assistance with the relevant Corporations Act provisions.

The Handbook is a major collaborative effort of all jurisdictions of the Insurance & Corporate Risk groups of Minter Ellison, led by Sydney Partner Pamela Madafiglio. Our thanks to all the partners and lawyers who contribute their time in undertaking research for the Handbook. It is very much a team effort, and it is a great team indeed.

We are pleased to provide this resource to clients of Minter Ellison. If you would like to receive a copy, or for further information, please send your details (name, position, organisation, telephone, email & postal address) to annie.eun@minterellison.com.