AHPRA's 2025 Code of Conduct: New Gold Standard for WA Medico-Legal Reports
Australia's Biggest Psychology Regulatory Shift in 15 Years — And What It Means for Your Case
If you are a lawyer preparing a compensation matter, an insurer assessing a psychological injury claim, or an individual seeking justice through the courts in Western Australia, the quality and compliance of any psychological report you rely upon has never mattered more.
On 1 December 2025, the Psychology Board of Australia (under AHPRA) enacted a new, Board-developed Code of Conduct for psychologists, replacing the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics as the primary professional standard governing all registered psychologists in Australia. Simultaneously, Western Australia's Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 and its accompanying 2024 Regulations came into full effect, redefining how psychological injuries are assessed, documented, and compensated in this state.
Together, these two developments represent the most consequential regulatory overhaul the psychology profession has seen since 2010 — and they are directly reshaping what constitutes a defensible, admissible, and genuinely useful medico-legal psychological report in Western Australia.
What Changed Under the New AHPRA Code of Conduct?
The new AHPRA Code of Conduct is not simply a rebranding exercise. It introduces updated professional competencies for general registration — the first substantive revision since 2010 — establishing fresh benchmarks for the knowledge, skills, and ethical behaviours expected of every registered psychologist practising in Australia.
For medico-legal work specifically, several aspects of the new Code carry direct implications:
1. Heightened Standards for Objectivity and Impartiality
The Code reinforces that a psychologist preparing expert evidence owes a paramount duty to the court or tribunal — not to the referring party. This is consistent with the obligations already outlined under the Evidence Act 1906 (WA) and the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW, applicable by analogy in federal matters), but the new Code makes this duty explicit in the regulatory framework governing every AHPRA-registered practitioner.
For lawyers and insurers in Perth, this means a psychologist who departs from objectivity now faces not just professional censure but direct scrutiny against a freshly codified regulatory standard.
2. Updated Competency Benchmarks
The revised general registration competencies set new expectations for assessment methodology, formulation accuracy, and evidence-based reporting. A psychological report for court — whether for pre-sentencing, fitness to stand trial, or expert witness purposes — must now demonstrably reflect these updated competency standards to withstand challenge.
3. Duty of Care and Consumer Safety
Complementing the AHPRA reforms, the WA Chief Psychiatrist published new standards for the sexual safety of consumers of mental health services in April 2025. While principally directed at inpatient and community mental health settings, these standards extend the duty of care framework relevant to all psychological assessments conducted in Western Australia, including those in medico-legal contexts.
Western Australia's New Workers Compensation Framework
For anyone involved in personal injuries psychological reports Perth practitioners are preparing under the new regime, the legislative landscape has fundamentally shifted.
The Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 (WA) and the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Regulations 2024 (WA) now govern psychological injury claims in this state. Key changes include:
- Clearer eligibility definitions for psychological conditions including PTSD, anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder arising from workplace incidents
- Strengthened requirements for the clinical documentation and diagnostic rigour expected in supporting reports
- Updated injury management obligations that intersect directly with the content and recommendations a psychologist must include in a compliant report
A workers compensation psychological assessment prepared without regard for these 2024 Regulations may fail to satisfy insurer or tribunal requirements — regardless of the psychologist's clinical credentials.
What This Means for Criminal Injuries Compensation Reports in WA
Criminal injuries compensation reports WA practitioners prepare are governed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 2003 (WA), which requires applicants to demonstrate a recognised psychological or psychiatric condition directly caused or materially contributed to by a criminal act.
While the CIC Act itself has not recently changed, the evidentiary expectations of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Assessor and the District Court of Western Australia have always demanded rigorous, AHPRA-compliant assessments. Under the new Code of Conduct, psychologists preparing CIC reports must now align their methodology, formulation, and opinion with the updated competency standards — making the selection of a suitably qualified and current practitioner more important than ever.
The Law Society of WA and AMA (WA) Practice Guidelines
For civil matters — including motor vehicle accident claims and public liability cases — the Law Society of Western Australia and the AMA (WA) maintain joint practice guidelines for requesting medico-legal reports in non-criminal matters. These guidelines govern:
- The proper form of instructions to an expert psychologist
- Requirements for the independence and disclosure obligations of the expert
- Standards for report content to ensure admissibility
Lawyers instructing psychologists for personal injuries psychological reports in Perth and across Western Australia should ensure that both the form of the referral and the content of the resulting report meet these joint guidelines — which sit alongside, and are now further reinforced by, the new AHPRA Code of Conduct.
What to Look for in a Compliant Medico-Legal Psychological Report in 2025 and Beyond
Given this regulatory environment, a high-quality medico-legal psychological report in Western Australia should now demonstrate:
- AHPRA general registration and relevant specialist endorsement or experience in forensic or medico-legal psychology
- Explicit alignment with the December 2025 AHPRA Code of Conduct and updated competency standards
- Compliance with the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023 and 2024 Regulations where applicable
- Clear diagnostic formulation grounded in DSM-5-TR or ICD-11 criteria, with transparent reasoning
- Impartial, court-ready opinion that acknowledges limitations and alternative hypotheses
- Appropriate disclosure of instructions, methodology, and any caveats — consistent with Law Society WA and AMA (WA) joint guidelines
Why Getting It Right from the Start Matters
A report that fails to meet the new regulatory standards is not merely a procedural inconvenience. In criminal injuries compensation proceedings, workers compensation disputes, civil litigation, and criminal court matters, an inadequate psychological report can:
- Be excluded as expert evidence
- Be successfully challenged on voir dire
- Undermine the credibility of the entire claim or defence
- Delay resolution and increase costs for all parties
Investing in a rigorously prepared, fully compliant psychological report for court or compensation purposes is — quite simply — the most cost-effective decision a legal representative or claimant can make.
Speak With Cygnet Medico-Legal Psychologists
At Cygnet Medico-Legal Psychologists, our AHPRA-registered forensic psychologists in Perth and Western Australia prepare medico-legal psychological reports that are fully aligned with the December 2025 AHPRA Code of Conduct, the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023, and the Law Society WA and AMA (WA) joint guidelines.
We regularly prepare:
- Medico-legal psychological reports for insurers and legal practitioners
- Criminal injuries compensation reports across Western Australia
- Psychological reports for court, including pre-sentencing, fitness to stand trial, and expert witness reports
- Personal injuries psychological reports for motor vehicle accidents and public liability matters
- Workers compensation psychological assessments under the new 2024 WA Regulations
Our Fremantle and Midland offices serve clients and referrers across the Perth metropolitan area and regional Western Australia.
Fremantle: (08) 9467 6373 Midland: (08) 9467 7676
Contact us today to discuss your referral or to obtain further information about our reporting services and turnaround times.