Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100279
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,205.00
Summary
Work in franchises: searching for solutions at the regulatory frontier. This project aims to provide empirical and theoretical insights into the effective regulation of work-related rights and responsibilities of franchise workers, franchisees and franchisors. By combining comparative doctrinal analysis of labour and competition and consumer laws with mixed methods research, this project will expand our knowledge of the way in which public and private regulatory mechanisms influence the regulato ....Work in franchises: searching for solutions at the regulatory frontier. This project aims to provide empirical and theoretical insights into the effective regulation of work-related rights and responsibilities of franchise workers, franchisees and franchisors. By combining comparative doctrinal analysis of labour and competition and consumer laws with mixed methods research, this project will expand our knowledge of the way in which public and private regulatory mechanisms influence the regulatory behaviour of key stakeholders. This will contribute to the development of a normative framework designed to inform enforcement strategy, policy-making and work quality within franchises.Read moreRead less
Regulating Australia's retail grocery sector - goals, actors and techniques. The major supermarket chains have a substantial economic and social impact on consumers, businesses and communities and are crucial to Australia's economic growth and productivity. Given their size and reach, regulation of the chains poses significant challenges. This interdisciplinary, empirical and theoretically driven project aims to interrogate the goals and processes of competition law as it applies in the retail g ....Regulating Australia's retail grocery sector - goals, actors and techniques. The major supermarket chains have a substantial economic and social impact on consumers, businesses and communities and are crucial to Australia's economic growth and productivity. Given their size and reach, regulation of the chains poses significant challenges. This interdisciplinary, empirical and theoretically driven project aims to interrogate the goals and processes of competition law as it applies in the retail grocery sector. In the first Australian research of its kind, it endeavours to explain how the chains' strategies and industry relationships influence regulatory action. The research is expected to produce recommendations on instruments and techniques to ensure that regulation of the sector is legally and practically efficient and effective.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL200100007
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,634,900.00
Summary
The Financial Data Revolution: Seizing the Benefits, Controlling the Risks. We are at the beginning of a data revolution. This project aims to make Australia’s legal and regulatory systems fit to deal with the utterly transformative rise of data and its algorithmic analysis. The project will identify reforms to laws and regulatory approaches to reap the benefits and limit the major risks of this transformation. The project’s findings will inform law reforms and changes in regulatory approaches a ....The Financial Data Revolution: Seizing the Benefits, Controlling the Risks. We are at the beginning of a data revolution. This project aims to make Australia’s legal and regulatory systems fit to deal with the utterly transformative rise of data and its algorithmic analysis. The project will identify reforms to laws and regulatory approaches to reap the benefits and limit the major risks of this transformation. The project’s findings will inform law reforms and changes in regulatory approaches and theoretical understandings here and abroad. Findings will underpin reforms which, being largely bipartisan, should enjoy high prospects of implementation. Expected benefits include a substantial lift in economic growth, enhanced cybersecurity, and enhanced protections of consumer and individual rights. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100792
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,980.00
Summary
Restoring public trust in charities: reforming governance and enforcement. This project aims to undertake a comprehensive and comparative investigation of governance and enforcement in the charitable sector in Australia. Public trust in the charitable sector has been damaged by governance failures, particularly in religious contexts, exacerbated by the sector’s complex and incoherent governance system. As yet, there has been limited academic consideration or empirical analysis of the effectivene ....Restoring public trust in charities: reforming governance and enforcement. This project aims to undertake a comprehensive and comparative investigation of governance and enforcement in the charitable sector in Australia. Public trust in the charitable sector has been damaged by governance failures, particularly in religious contexts, exacerbated by the sector’s complex and incoherent governance system. As yet, there has been limited academic consideration or empirical analysis of the effectiveness of the governance and regulatory framework of the sector or concrete reform proposals. This project aims to undertake comparative analysis and empirical research of these aspects, and to develop proposals for effective law and policy reform. This is expected to strengthen and maximise the sector’s capacity to contribute to the social and economic life in Australia.Read moreRead less
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A New Model of Economic Governance? China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) involves thousands of projects in the world, with a combined value over USD 1 trillion. Under the BRI, China is constructing new norms and legal institutions to govern international economic activity. But the opacity of the BRI means that little is known about the details of these arrangements or their operation in practice. This socio-legal project will examine how the BRI is changing th ....China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A New Model of Economic Governance? China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) involves thousands of projects in the world, with a combined value over USD 1 trillion. Under the BRI, China is constructing new norms and legal institutions to govern international economic activity. But the opacity of the BRI means that little is known about the details of these arrangements or their operation in practice. This socio-legal project will examine how the BRI is changing the way that cross-border economic interactions are governed, and explore the implications of these changes for how power and authority are exercised in the global economy. The project’s findings will equip Australian policymakers, businesses and publics to navigate more astutely the changes that the BRI is advancing.Read moreRead less
Systemic responses to global financial instability: new thinking and measures by which Australia can address the challenges of globalised capital. This project explores and models new systemic responses Australia, our region and the world could adopt to counter the instability generated by globalised capital. These include a financial transactions tax, financial activity tax, levies on bank balance sheets and other new responses to too-big-to-fail problems.
The legal and social dimensions of financial hardship in Australia: Implications for legal, regulatory and policy frameworks. Financial hardship, the reduced ability to meet monetary obligations because of loss of employment, illness or disaster, is an increasing problem for both low-income and middle-income Australians. This project is the first in-depth study of the practical operation of Australia’s financial hardship laws, which are designed to protect Australians suffering financial hardshi ....The legal and social dimensions of financial hardship in Australia: Implications for legal, regulatory and policy frameworks. Financial hardship, the reduced ability to meet monetary obligations because of loss of employment, illness or disaster, is an increasing problem for both low-income and middle-income Australians. This project is the first in-depth study of the practical operation of Australia’s financial hardship laws, which are designed to protect Australians suffering financial hardship. Major surveys will be undertaken of senior staff of financial dispute resolution schemes, financial counsellors, consumer solicitors and consumer advocates as well as persons suffering financial hardship. The project outcomes will include improvements to dispute resolution involving financial hardship and consumer advisory services, and potential law reform proposals.Read moreRead less
Financial exclusion, poor insurer practices and consumer protection. This project aims to study financial exclusion and variations in access to general insurance, as well as insurer practices in selling insurance and handling claims. Through surveys, focus groups and interviews, the project also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the legal protections for consumers of general insurance. The expected project outcomes include law and policy reform proposals to improve the effectiveness of these ....Financial exclusion, poor insurer practices and consumer protection. This project aims to study financial exclusion and variations in access to general insurance, as well as insurer practices in selling insurance and handling claims. Through surveys, focus groups and interviews, the project also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the legal protections for consumers of general insurance. The expected project outcomes include law and policy reform proposals to improve the effectiveness of these protections and maximise access to general insurance, particularly for socio-economically disadvantaged consumers. This should have benefits such as an increased uptake of general insurance and improved community resilience to natural disasters and other unforeseen events.Read moreRead less
Evaluating Australian personal insolvency laws in the context of changing demographics and increasing financial stress. This project will study how Australians respond to financial stress within the context of Australian personal insolvency laws. A better understanding of the practical impact of these laws today will enable an evaluation of their effectiveness in meeting policy objectives.
Analysis of the impact and regulation of harmful financial products. Analysis of the impact and regulation of harmful financial products. This project will investigate financial products that can harm disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers. It will use empirical research (surveys, interviews and focus groups) to explore how these products perpetuate financial hardship, poor health and social disadvantage. In doing so, it expects to contribute to consumer law scholarship and studies of financial ....Analysis of the impact and regulation of harmful financial products. Analysis of the impact and regulation of harmful financial products. This project will investigate financial products that can harm disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers. It will use empirical research (surveys, interviews and focus groups) to explore how these products perpetuate financial hardship, poor health and social disadvantage. In doing so, it expects to contribute to consumer law scholarship and studies of financial exclusion, and provide practical assistance to policymakers, regulators and the partner organisations. The project will also assess the need for law reform, and, if appropriate, recommend detailed law reforms. The research is expected to help policymakers address damage caused by harmful and predatory financial products and promote the financial and social wellbeing of vulnerable, disadvantaged consumers.Read moreRead less