Private international law
In this section
The Private International Law (PIL) team has legislative and policy responsibility for civil and commercial law matters between private individuals or entities across international borders.
We also help to develop and harmonise principles and rules to resolve private international law (or ‘conflict of laws’) issues such as jurisdiction, choice of law and the recognition and enforcement of judgments.
Find out more about specific legal processes on each of the pages below:
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International engagement
Our team is Australia’s national contact point for the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). Our work includes both domestic projects and those developed by international organisations.
Our team also coordinates the ‘Referendar Program’ for German trainee lawyers. For more information, see our German Referendar Program page.
Central Authority
We are also the Australian Central Authority for the following treaties:
- Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (HCCH Service Convention)
- Hague Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (HCCH Evidence Convention)
- 1997 Agreement on Judicial Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters and Co-operation in Arbitration between Australia and the Kingdom of Thailand
- 1999 Treaty on Judicial Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters between Australia and the Republic of Korea
This means that the PIL team is responsible receiving incoming requests from other countries. Australian courts are generally responsible for sending outgoing requests to other countries on behalf of Australian litigants who need to serve documents on or take evidence from someone overseas. For more information, see our Serving legal documents across international borders and Collecting evidence across international borders pages.
Other parts of the Australian Government have been designated as Central Authorities for different treaty frameworks:
- If you are looking for Australia’s Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or the Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children, visit our International Family Law page.
- If you are looking for looking for Australia’s Central Authority in international criminal cooperation, visit our International Crime Cooperation Central Authority page.
If you are looking for Australia’s Central Authority for a different treaty, consult the international organisation or treaty depository responsible for that treaty.
What should I do if I have received foreign legal documents?
We are only responsible for assisting with the process for forwarding requests for service and evidence from foreign countries. We cannot provide advice in connection with any underlying legal proceedings.
If you have received or been served with legal documents relating to a case in a foreign country, consider obtaining independent legal advice.
Get more information
If your question is not answered above or on one of our specific legal process pages, email pil@ag.gov.au. We will aim to provide you a response within 15 business days. In peak periods or for complex enquiries, we may take longer.