Best Practices in Legal Aspects of Consumer Protection and Regulatory Restrictions

The scope of regulation of competition and consumer protection has been a matter of concern to many governments and their parliaments.

The debate has now shifted to the negative impacts on innovation and competition that come from such a restrictive approach, hence the contemporary approaches to best practices in legislation and/or legal matters. The key point is that best practice does not imply more regulation, rather improved legislative objectives, scope and nature of regulation in legal services.

These legislative objectives need to be applied directly to each individual regulatory issue as set out in better regulation principles. The legal services market is increasingly dynamic, the reach and nature of regulation must be flexible to respond to emerging risks and new issues. Any review must consider case by case the types of legislative interventions most appropriate to the specific risks and also have a strategic approach that underpins each decision and collectively delivers the improved legislative objectives.

To develop that strategic approach is the purpose of this specialist programme designed for board members/trustees of consumer protection tribunals, legal representative bodies, professional and trade bodies, legal advisory organisations, providers of legal services, legal and regulatory academics, members of the legal professions, think tanks of Government departments and others involved with legal
aspects of consumer protection and competition.

Three key themes that are core to the vision of legislature are consumer protection and redress, authorisation requirements and after-event redress. This would combine education and quality assurance entry hurdles, insurance and compensation requirements and ombudsman schemes. There is no simple hierarchy of regulatory restrictions, but during this programme we will favour reliance upon general consumer and competition law wherever possible; with restriction to particular and narrowly defined categories of tribunal works, legal reviews and community education support services. The programme will end with development of a legal work tool on reflections of the future challenges and opportunities that faces consumer protection and competition issues.

Objectives

Understand the importance of public confidence in the provision of legislature and effective administration of justice to consumers’ protection.
Identification of the area of legal services for review, including community engagement and education.
Analyse existing mechanisms and non-statutory interventions of consumer protection and competition issues.
Understand the increasing dynamism of legislature, including the reach and nature of regulation to respond to emerging risks and new consumer protection issues.
Review country specific legislative changes that have occurred recently especially UK, EU, USA and Canada.
To become better able to develop strategic approach to legislature related to consumer protection and competition matters.
Develop community education strategies for the improvement and reduction of risks associated to consumer protection.
Generate a personalise legal work tool for effective governance of consumer protection tribunals and legislature.

Who should attend

This programme is recommended for board members and trustees of consumer protection tribunals, legal representative bodies, professional and trade bodies, legal advisory organisations, legal and regulatory academics, members of the legal professions, think tanks of government depts and others involved with legal aspects of consumer protection and competition.