---
title: "ACCC section 155 notice: response plan, document hold notice and AI-assisted review protocol"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/competition-and-consumer-law/s155-notice-response-plan"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a29-s155-notice-response-plan"
area_id: "A29"
kind: "other"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-17"
---

# ACCC section 155 notice: response plan, document hold notice and AI-assisted review protocol

> First-week plan for a client served with an ACCC s 155 notice: a document hold notice to staff, a response workplan, a privilege schedule, and a protocol for using search and AI review tools that records what the ACCC…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/competition-and-consumer-law/s155-notice-response-plan  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-17

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

First-week plan for a client served with an ACCC s 155 notice: a document hold notice to staff, a response workplan, a privilege schedule, and a protocol for using search and AI review tools that records what the ACCC now asks to be told about AI tools and prompts.

## Key facts

- Kind: Other. A precedent that fits none of the other kinds.
- Practice area: [Competition & Consumer Law](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/competition-and-consumer-law.md)
- Jurisdictions: Australia
- AI level: Yellow. AI can help in set ways. A lawyer checks specific points before use.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-17
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-17 against the 6 authorities it cites, for Australia.

## When to use it

Use as soon as a client receives a compulsory notice under s 155 of the Competition and Consumer Act to furnish information, produce documents or attend an examination. Do not use for voluntary information requests without adapting it, or for search warrants.

## How AI may be used

Close supervision. Search tools and AI review can make a large production feasible within the notice period, but the search method must be defensible, every privilege call is the lawyer's, and the ACCC's guidelines ask recipients to describe AI tools and prompts used.

**AI may:**

- Run agreed search terms and AI-assisted relevance ranking across collected data, with the method, prompts and settings logged.
- Draft first-pass coding (responsive, possibly privileged, confidential) for human review.
- Populate the privilege schedule fields from document metadata for a lawyer to complete.

**AI must not:**

- Must not make final responsiveness decisions on documents that will not be reviewed by a person without an agreed validation method.
- Must not decide or describe the basis of any privilege claim.
- Must not draft any part of a written answer to the ACCC that is not verified against source documents, or prepare an examinee's answers.
- Must not process the material in a tool that trains on inputs or stores data outside approved locations.

**The lawyer checks:**

- The search is objectively reasonable for the s 155(5B) defence and is described fully in the written response.
- Every privilege claim is supported and recorded in the ACCC's requested format.
- Written answers are accurate and signed by a competent officer.
- Deadlines and any extension requests are made before the due date.

## Authorities

- [Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) s 155, including s 155(5), (5A), (5B), (6), (6A), (7), (7B), (8A)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text)
- [Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) s 155AAA (protection of certain information)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00109/latest/text)
- [ACCC, Guidelines on the use of section 155 powers (published 7 October 2026)](https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/guidelines-on-the-use-of-section-155-powers)
- [ACCC, Claims of legal professional privilege (guidance on privilege information)](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/compliance-and-enforcement/claims-of-legal-professional-privilege)
- [Criminal Code (Cth) ss 137.1, 137.2 (false or misleading information and documents)](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A04868/latest/text)
- [Federal Court of Australia, Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Practice Note (GPN-AI) (16 April 2026) paras 4.13-4.15](https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/law-and-practice/practice-documents/practice-notes/gpn-ai)

## Official form

[Official form](https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/guidelines-on-the-use-of-section-155-powers)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/competition-and-consumer-law/s155-notice-response-plan and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

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