Law Society NT

The Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules in the Northern Territory

  • Updated on 2 July 2026

On 15 August 2025, the Law Society Northern Territory (Society) made new conduct rules for the legal profession in the Territory, being the Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules (ASCR). The Society made minor amendments to the ASCR on 10 June 2026 (amended ASCR), in light of amendments that have been made to the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act). From 1 July 2026, legal professionals providing certain services will be subject to new obligations under the AML/CTF Act. Those obligations have implications for legal practitioners when complying with the ASCR and their ethical obligations. The amended ASCR include small changes to rules 8.1 and the addition of a definition of ‘just cause’ at rule 13.4 to assist solicitors with those obligations. The Law Council of Australia has published new guidance about these rules on its website. 

The Society has also published a Guidance Note on Ceasing to Act, which is available here. This Guidance Note complements the amended ASCR.

The ASCR originally came into force on 1 September 2025. The amended ASCR commence from 1 July 2026.  

The ASCR apply to all practitioners in the Territory (including foreign-registered lawyers and those with interstate practicing certificates) except for those practitioners who practice solely as Barristers.

The previous conduct rules for solicitors, the Society’s Rules of Professional Conduct and Practice 2005 (NT), are no longer in force and only apply to conduct occurring prior to 1 September 2025.

On 15 August 2025, the Society also made the Barristers Conduct Rules (BCR), which had previously been published on the NT Bar Association website.

The adoption of the ASCR represents an exciting development for the profession in the Northern Territory and brings our jurisdiction in line with the rest of Australia such that solicitors can receive consistent ethical guidance across jurisdictions.

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