Regulation is often used as a substitute for formal legal processes as well as a complement to them. Regulation is central to the government of many industries – be it pharmaceuticals, energy or ICT – as well as to some of the central policies that improve the quality of our lives, be it environmental or cultural policy. This course offers an introduction to the main debates and issues in the field of regulation. It covers current debates about what regulation is as well as the different institutions and instruments used to regulate our lives. It looks at the central concepts used by regulators, such as risk, cost-benefit analysis and regulatory impact assessment. It also considers when different strategies should be adopted in regulating a sector. Finally, it looks at two case studies where regulation is used: Two-Sided Markets and Competition Policy. This course will involve examples from jurisdictions across the world (especially Australasia, Europe and North America) with their insights having particular relevance for law and regulation in Singapore.
