Australian corporate law has been the subject of significant reform. This includes: (a) increased duties imposed upon company directors; (b) regulation of transactions between public companies and their related parties; (c) increased disclosure requirements for public companies; (d) new...

In this paper the authors utilise leximetric analysis, which involves the numerical coding of the strength of formal legal protections, to document changes in the level of worker protection and shareholder protection in six countries (Australia, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the...

The authors examine the influence of behavioural research upon economic policy-making, as it relates to the regulation of consumer credit and consumer financial services. Using the examples of credit cards in the United States and Australia, and retirement savings' infrastructure in the United...

Increased attention is being given to the enforcement of insider trading laws. In this paper the authors present the results of an empirical study of the enforcement of Australian insider trading laws since the first enforcement case in 1973. The issues examined by the authors include (a) the...

Although young Australians are active consumers there is little evidence about their knowledge of consumer rights. The authors report the results of a survey of 207 Australian school students aged 16-17 aimed at ascertaining their knowledge of consumer rights. Focus group interviews were also...

Recent years have seen a trend in many jurisdictions towards the adoption of short-form disclosure documents for retail financial products. This paper analyses the challenges and trends in relation to short-form disclosure documents from a comparative perspective. Developments in the following...

This report presents the results of a study examining superannuation knowledge, behaviour and attitudes in 994 young adult superannuation fund members (25-34 years old) in Australia. Respondents completed a 75 question online survey instrument which included questions on demographics and...

The authors focus on one of the most important statutory protections for Australian consumers in financial hardship: the right to seek a variation of a credit contract contained in s 72 of the National Credit Code. They provide a comprehensive history of this right, which has been part of...

While Australia's superannuation scheme is a fundamental part of supporting and sustaining Australia's increasingly aging and retiring population, young Australians demonstrate consistently poor knowledge of, and behaviour and attitudes towards, superannuation. This study is the first...

Under the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (CTH), there are three regulated forms of personal insolvency: bankruptcy, debt agreements, and personal insolvency agreements. Between 1990 and 2008 there was a 261% increase in the number of personal insolvencies in Australia, which far exceeded the 24% increase...