Postgraduate Course: Theories of Financial Regulation (LAWS11255)

Course Outline
School	School of Law	College	College of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	This one semester course aims to explore how and why the financial services industry is regulated both in the UK and in the wider global context. The financial crisis has left many questions about whether the sector was adequately supervised and regulated and there has been much discussion of the so called 'light touch' regulatory approach which allowed market forces to regulate themselves. The market approach argues that if you over-regulate, business will be curtailed and move to a market with more favourable regulation. The course aims to explore what the regulatory system was before the crisis and whether the motivation or theory behind it was protection of the market or the protection of investors. The course analyses changes in approach with a new regulatory regime in the UK, US and EU and considers whether these changes indicate a theoretical or cultural change in the manner of regulation and whether there is a genuine move to protect or if the changes are simply designed to support the market. Consideration will also be given to more informal means of changing the industry and whether the development of a strong corporate governance culture is indicative of a changing of attitude or different approach to regulation. Pensions law and Islamic banking will also be considered. In addition to theory, students will explore how the regulations are enforced in the UK and consider whether financial crime is the same as any other crime.
Course description	Not entered

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should have:- (a) a general understanding of the areas of financial regulation discussed in the course; (b) a detailed and specific knowledge of some particular areas of financial regulation within this broader framework; (c) an understanding of major issues and debates in the field of financial regulation; (d) developed skills of reading and critical analysis enabling them to evaluate the work of key scholars writing in the field of financial regulation; (e) developed written and oral skills, including the clear and succinct expression of ideas; and (f) a basic grounding in research skills and techniques in the law of financial regulation.