Public record
Legislation in three jurisdictions, a 2026 Federal Court of Australia penalty, and a source-linked archive of 13 media or public records.
In November 2019, Ireland enacted Section 43A of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019. It criminalises providing and advertising cheating services, with penalties for providers and advertisers of up to EUR100,000, up to five years' imprisonment, or both.
In 2020, Australia's Federal Government amended the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 to create a criminal offence for providing or advertising academic cheating services. The stated penalties include up to two years' imprisonment and fines up to A$105,000.
England's Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 received Royal Assent in April 2022. It makes providing, arranging or advertising cheating services for financial gain to post-16 students in England a criminal offence.
Australia's Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency began proceedings against a major US-based online study-help platform in October 2024 over three assessments at Monash University in 2021-22. On 27 March 2026, Justice Craig Lenehan of the Federal Court of Australia imposed an A$500,000 penalty plus A$150,000 costs on the platform, the first successful prosecution under Australia's contract cheating law.
TEQSA announcement, Times Higher Education report, and Federal Court case record, 2026 FCA 330
The 2026 edition brings together a selective collection of publisher, government, parliamentary and regulator records.
The archive includes selected publisher, government, parliamentary and regulator records relevant to contract cheating policy and public discussion.
The page covers legal measures in Ireland, Australia and England, alongside selected media and public records.
On 27 March 2026, the Federal Court of Australia imposed an A$500,000 penalty plus A$150,000 costs on a major US-based online study-help platform.
Suggested citation:
ContractCheating.com. (2026). Media and policy. https://contractcheating.com/media-and-policy