Which Australian Act created protections against slavery and sexual servitude?

• A. Criminal Code Amendment (Slavery and Sexual Servitude) Act 1999 (Cth)
• B. Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
• C. Crimes Act 1914 (Cth)
• D. Anti-Slavery Act 2005

Answer: (A)

The question is about which Australian law first put explicit criminal protections in place against slavery and sexual servitude at the Commonwealth level. The Criminal Code Amendment (Slavery and Sexual Servitude) Act 1999 (Cth) did exactly that. It inserted clear offences into the Commonwealth Criminal Code covering slavery, servitude, and sexual servitude, making it illegal to hold someone in slavery or servitude and to traffic or exploit people for these purposes, with penalties enforceable across Australia.

The other options don’t do the same thing in the same foundational way. The Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) tackles modern slavery by imposing reporting and accountability requirements on entities, focusing on due diligence and transparency rather than establishing the core criminal offences themselves. The Crimes Act 1914 is the general criminal law framework but does not specifically codify the standalone offences of slavery and sexual servitude that the 1999 amendment created. The Anti-Slavery Act 2005 isn’t a Commonwealth act that established these protections.