How is a law removed or repealed in Australia and what is the process?

Repealing a law (which means undoing or removing it) requires the same process as making a new law. A repeal bill – a proposal to remove all or part of a law – must be introduced, debated and agreed to by both the Senate and House of Representatives before it is signed into law by the Governor-General. The repeal bill will say when it comes into force.

There are many reasons why the Australian Parliament might agree to repeal an existing law. For example, the law might be outdated or the government might want to deal with an issue differently.

Some laws do not need to be repealed because they have an expiry date called a sunset clause. All delegated law made by ministers and government departments has an expiry date unless the Parliament decides to renew it.