---
title: "Australian Capital Territory"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/jurisdictions/australian-capital-territory"
type: "jurisdiction"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "ACT"
kind: "territory"
country: "AU"
parent: "Australia"
last_reviewed: "2026-10-11"
---

# Australian Capital Territory

> The Law Society of New South Wales index of court AI protocols, current as at 14 May 2026, did not list an ACT Supreme Court practice note.…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/jurisdictions/australian-capital-territory  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-11

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

ACT Courts and the ACT legislation register. No dedicated court AI protocol for the Territory was listed on the Law Society of New South Wales index as at 14 May 2026.

No AI direction found as of 10 Oct 2026. Law Society of the ACT guidance on generative AI in legal practice is known from secondary sources but unverified: the primary page was not retrieved on 10 Oct 2026.

Law Society of the ACT guidance on generative AI in legal practice is known from secondary sources but unverified: the primary page was not retrieved on 10 Oct 2026.

On 22 September 2026 the ACT Courts site and the ACT legislation register were public pages. A search for an official ACT generative-AI practice note did not return one through the national index maintained by the Law Society of New South Wales.

A Federal Court file with a Canberra registry is still a Federal Court file. GPN-AI is the federal note. It is not an ACT Supreme Court note.

## Key facts

- Kind: Territory
- Task versions written for this jurisdiction: 4
- AI instruments recorded: 13

## Summary

The Law Society of New South Wales index of court AI protocols, current as at 14 May 2026, did not list an ACT Supreme Court practice note. Commonwealth proceedings heard in Canberra follow the federal note for that court. Territory matters follow what the ACT Courts have actually published. Check both, and do not collapse them into one rule.

## Jurisdiction note

Canberra is not a single jurisdiction. Name the court. ACAT is not the ACT Supreme Court and not the Federal Court. No AI direction found as of 10 Oct 2026. Law Society of the ACT guidance on generative AI in legal practice is known from secondary sources but unverified: the primary page was not retrieved on 10 Oct 2026.

## AI rules and guidance (13)

| Instrument | Issuer | Kind | Effective | Source type | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Member benefit: AI training partnership](https://www.actbar.com.au/barristers/member-benefits/) | ACT Bar Association | bar_statement | Not stated | Primary source | ACT Bar Association has an educational partnership with AI Legal Assistant for member AI training. |
| [Using AI to make a complaint](https://www.ombudsman.act.gov.au/complaints/using-ai-to-make-a-complaint) | ACT Ombudsman | ombudsman_statement | Not stated | Primary source | ACT Ombudsman (also ACT FOI reviewer) statement on generative AI-written complaints: "We'd rather hear from you, not AI." |
| [No AI guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026.](https://acat.act.gov.au) | ACAT | no_guidance_note | Not stated | Primary source | No ACAT AI guidance found. |
| [No AI guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026.](https://actlawsociety.asn.au) | ACT Law Society | no_guidance_note | Not stated | Primary source | Site returned no AI guidance; search failed twice. |
| [No artificial intelligence practice direction on the practice directions list (checked 10 Oct 2026)](https://www.courts.act.gov.au/supreme/law-and-practice/practice-notes-and-directions-and-notices-to-practitioners/practice-directions) | Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory | no_guidance_note | Not stated | Primary source | The ACT Supreme Court practice directions page was fetched on 10 October 2026. The general list runs through Practice Direction 9 of 2026, effective 14 August 2026, and includes Court Technology… |
| [No artificial intelligence practice direction on the Magistrates Court practice directions list (checked 10 Oct 2026)](https://www.courts.act.gov.au/magistrates/law-and-practice/practice-notes-and-directions-and-notices-to-practitioners/practice-directions) | Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory | no_guidance_note | Not stated | Primary source | The ACT Magistrates Court practice directions page was fetched on 10 October 2026.… |
| [February 2026 joint AI checklist, hosted by the Law Society Northern Territory](https://lawsocietynt.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-FINAL-RISK-ASSESSMENT-TOOL-CON-BODS-AI-IN-LEGAL-PRACTICE-CONSULTING-COMMITTEE.pdf) | Law Society of the ACT | law_society_guidance | Not stated | Secondary source | The linked file is a February 2026 joint AI selection and use checklist hosted by the Law Society Northern Territory.… |
| [No new AI guidance found: Law Society of the ACT](https://actlawsociety.asn.au/) | Law Society of the ACT | notice | Not stated | Secondary source | No new AI guidance found (beyond items already captured) as of 10 Oct 2026; site search: site:actlawsociety.asn.au artificial intelligence |
| [No new AI guidance found: ACT Bar Association](https://actbar.com.au/) | ACT Bar Association | notice | Not stated | Secondary source | No new AI guidance found (beyond items already captured) as of 10 Oct 2026; site search: site:actbar.com.au artificial intelligence |
| [No new AI guidance found: Legal Aid ACT](https://legalaidact.org.au/) | Legal Aid ACT | notice | Not stated | Secondary source | No new AI guidance found (beyond items already captured) as of 10 Oct 2026; site search: site:legalaidact.org.au artificial intelligence |
| [Privacy and FOI and AI: Australian Capital Territory](https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-in-your-state/privacy-in-the-act) | Office of the Australian Information Commissioner | government_guidance | Not stated | Secondary source | Information Privacy Act 2014 (ACT) (TPPs); Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997. FOI: Freedom of Information Act 2016 (ACT).… |
| [No guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026: ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal](https://www.acat.act.gov.au/) | ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal | no_guidance_note | Not stated | Primary source | No ACAT AI practice direction or guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026 (homepage, About ACAT, Attending ACAT and Remote attendance pages checked; no AI mentions). |
| [No guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026: ACT Bar Association](https://www.actbar.com.au/) | ACT Bar Association | no_guidance_note | Not stated | Primary source | No ACT Bar AI guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026 (homepage, Resources/Media releases and ACT Bar Rules 2026 PDF checked; no AI mentions). |

- No artificial intelligence practice direction on the Magistrates Court practice directions list (checked 10 Oct 2026): Practice directions list fetched on 10 October 2026. Practice Direction 3 of 2024 was not opened.
- February 2026 joint AI checklist, hosted by the Law Society Northern Territory: Known from secondary sources; primary URL not captured. Unverified.
- No new AI guidance found: Law Society of the ACT: No new AI guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026. This is a search result, not a decision that the body will not publish guidance.
- No new AI guidance found: ACT Bar Association: No new AI guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026. This is a search result, not a decision that the body will not publish guidance.
- No new AI guidance found: Legal Aid ACT: No new AI guidance found as of 10 Oct 2026. This is a search result, not a decision that the body will not publish guidance.
- Privacy and FOI and AI: Australian Capital Territory: Statute names from official sources; how they apply to AI is a summary to verify.

## What to open first

Write the court at the top of the page. Then open either the ACT Courts site or the federal note, not a guess.

## Review checklist

- Say whether the matter is in an ACT court or tribunal or in a Commonwealth court.
- Search the ACT Courts site for a current AI direction and record what you find.
- If the matter is in the Federal Court or the FCFCOA, use that court’s note, not an assumed ACT note.
- Verify ACT legislation on the ACT legislation register.
- Keep affidavits in the witness’s words and confidential material out of public tools.

## Jurisdiction-specific considerations

- Registry location is not jurisdiction.
- ACAT has its own procedure. Do not file a Supreme Court form because a tool offered one.
- ACT Acts are on the ACT register. A Commonwealth Act with a similar short title is a different statute.

## Tasks that change here (4)

| Task | Level | How AI is used |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Separate an ACT matter from a Commonwealth matter before using an AI rule](https://ailawframework.com/jurisdictions/australian-capital-territory/separate-an-act-matter-from-a-commonwealth-matter-before-using-an-ai-rul.md) | Red | Extract the court name, registry and statute from the draft into a jurisdiction line for the lawyer to confirm. |
| [Check ACT legislation citations on the register](https://ailawframework.com/jurisdictions/australian-capital-territory/check-act-legislation-citations-on-the-register.md) | Yellow | Extract ACT Act and regulation citations from a draft into a list for the legislation register. |
| [Check an ACT payment claim against the current Act before it is given](https://ailawframework.com/jurisdictions/australian-capital-territory/check-an-act-payment-claim-against-the-current-act-before-it-is-given.md) | Red | Extract the calendar month, the claimed amount, the contract payment day and the description of the work into a checking list. |
| [Prepare an ACT payment schedule within the earlier of the contract time and 10 business days](https://ailawframework.com/jurisdictions/australian-capital-territory/prepare-an-act-payment-schedule-within-the-earlier-of-the-contract-time.md) | Red | Extract the claimed amount, the day the claim was given and the respondent’s instructed reasons into a payment-schedule shell. |

## Sources

- [Law Society of New South Wales: court protocols on AI, current as at 14 May 2026](https://www.lawsociety.com.au/AI-hub/court-protocols-ai) (checked 2026-09-22)
- [ACT Courts](https://www.courts.act.gov.au/) (checked 2026-09-22)
- [ACT legislation register](https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/) (checked 2026-09-22)
- [Federal Court of Australia Practice Note GPN-AI](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/law-and-practice/practice-documents/practice-notes/gpn-ai) (checked 2026-09-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*