Hello, and welcome to the April edition of the Dye & Durham Docket.

In this edition, we cover new legislation, like Australia’s landmark digital assets framework and new AML obligations for legal professionals, and a major shift in how Canada accredits internationally trained lawyers, the global legal landscape is moving fast.

We also look at striking new data on AI and the legal profession as well as a decade’s worth of diversity data from the SRA that makes for both encouraging and uncomfortable reading.

Let’s dive in!

Industry News and Trends

Drawn from 810 lawyers across ten countries, the Wolters Kluwer 2026 Future Ready Lawyer Report highlights urgent challenges as well as emerging opportunities.

Among other key findings, the report revealed that 62% of legal departments believe that AI-driven efficiencies will significantly reduce the prevalence of the billable hour, paving the way for alternative pricing models and greater cost transparency.

Expert Commentary: The release of the Report is accompanied by a series of expert webinars. Join live or catch the recordings.

Nearly seven in ten legal professionals now use generative AI tools for work — up from around three in ten just a year ago — according to new research from 8am Legal published in March 2026.

Global News

Australia has become one of the first countries to integrate cryptocurrency exchanges and custody providers into its mainstream financial services licensing regime. The Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 cleared both houses of Parliament on 1 April, creating two new regulated categories — digital asset platforms and tokenized custody platforms — with a 12-month compliance runway.

From March 31, AUSTRAC opened enrolment for the Tranche 2 expansion of Australia’s AML/CTF regime, bringing lawyers, conveyancers, accountants, and real estate professionals into the framework.

The federal government has tabled Bill C-22, which introduces new investigative tools for law enforcement in the context of national security and digital threats. Civil liberties and criminal defense counsel are expected to scrutinize the bill’s scope as it progresses.

As of March 1, 2026, Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation has added two new requirements for foreign-trained lawyers seeking a Canadian license: mandatory language screening and a new stand-alone module on Indigenous Law and Peoples.

The recently published Liberties Ireland 2026 Rule of Law Report has labeled Ireland as a “stagnator” regarding justice system reform.

South Africa’s Information Regulator recently published new regulations under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) governing how organizations must handle health information, effective immediately.

Here’s a summary of the changes for legal advisers working with clients in financial services or healthcare.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) released ten years of workforce diversity data covering more than 225,000 people across 8,876 regulated firms. Among other findings, women now make up 55% of lawyers (up from 48% in 2015).

Is the traditional law firm model being replaced? Previewed at the British Legal Technology Forum, the upcoming Future of UK Law Firms 2026 report shows that rising investment and consultant-led models are fundamentally redefining legal leadership and operating structures.

Dye & Durham in the News

A lighter note

The 12-Tonne KitKat Heist: When 12 tonnes of KitKat bars (exactly 413,793 units) were stolen in transit between Italy and Poland last month, Nestlé probably didn’t expect the internet to throw a party. But as news of the confectionery heist went viral, global brands decided to skip the condolences and go straight for the punchlines.

That’s it for April. Whether you’re gearing up for warmer weather or bracing for cold, the Docket will be here to keep you connected to the happenings in the global legal industry.

See you next month!

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