This collection of essays offers a unique insight and overview of the secured transactions law in many of the most important countries in Asia, as well as reflections on the need for, benefits of and challenges for reform in this area of the law. The book provides a mixture of general reflections on the history, successes and challenges of secured transaction law reform, and critical discussion of the law in a number of Asian countries. In some of the countries, the law has already been reformed, or reform is under way, and here the reforms are considered critically, with recommendations for future work. In other countries, the law is not yet reformed, and the existing law is analysed so as to determine what reform is desirable, and whether it is likely to take place. First, this book will enable those engaging with the law in Asia to understand better the contours of the law in both civil and common law jurisdictions. Second, it provides analytical insights into why secured transactions law reform happens or does not happen, the different methods by which reform takes place, the benefits of reform and the difficulties that need to be overcome for successful reform. Third, it discusses the need for reform where none has yet taken place and critically assesses the reforms which have already been enacted or are being considered. In addition to providing a forum for discussion in relation to the countries in question, this book is also a timely contribution to the wider debate on secured transactions law reform which is taking place around the world.

This collection of essays offers a unique insight and overview of the secured transactions law in many of the most important countries in Asia, as well as reflections on the need for, benefits of and challenges for reform in this area of the law. The book provides a mixture of general reflections on the history, successes and challenges of secured transaction law reform, and critical discussion of the law in a number of Asian countries. In some of the countries, the law has already been reformed, or reform is under way, and here the reforms are considered critically, with recommendations for future work. In other countries, the law is not yet reformed, and the existing law is analysed so as to determine what reform is desirable, and whether it is likely to take place. First, this book will enable those engaging with the law in Asia to understand better the contours of the law in both civil and common law jurisdictions. Second, it provides analytical insights into why secured transactions law reform happens or does not happen, the different methods by which reform takes place, the benefits of reform and the difficulties that need to be overcome for successful reform. Third, it discusses the need for reform where none has yet taken place and critically assesses the reforms which have already been enacted or are being considered. In addition to providing a forum for discussion in relation to the countries in question, this book is also a timely contribution to the wider debate on secured transactions law reform which is taking place around the world.

Secured transactions law has been subjected to a close scrutiny over the last two decades. One of the main reasons for this is the importance of availability of credit and the consequent need to reform collateral laws in order to improve access to finance. The ability to give security effectively influences not only the cost of credit but also, in some cases, whether credit will be available at all. This requires rules that are transparent and readily accessible to non-lawyers as well as rules that recognise the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. This book critically engages with the challenges posed by inefficient secured credit laws. It offers a comparative analysis of the reasons and the needs for a secured transactions law reform, as well as discussion of the steps taken in many common law, civil law and mixed law jurisdictions. The book, written under the auspices of the Secured Transactions Law Reform Project, informs the debate about reform and advances novel arguments written by world renowned experts that will build upon the existing literature, and as such will be of interest to academics, legal practitioners and the judiciary involved in secured transactions law around the world. The text considers reform initiatives that have taken place up to the end of April 2016. It has not been possible to incorporate events since then into the discussion. However, notable developments include the banks decree passed by the Italian Government on 29th June 2016, and the adoption of the Model Law on Secured Transactions by UNCITRAL on 1st July 2016.

This volume provides an overview of insolvency laws and related rules and procedures in the countries of East Asia. So far as possible, given the varying states of legal development, each chapter addresses key themes such as: the legal system and culture; personal insolvency laws; corporate insolvency rules; court based schemes of arrangement; winding up procedures; liquidators; enforcement; and offences.

Financial crises have become an all too common occurrence over the past twenty years, largely as a result of changes in finance brought about by increasing internationalization and integration. As domestic financial systems and economies have become more interlinked, weaknesses can significantly impact not only individual economies but also markets, financial intermediaries, and economies around the world. This volume addresses the twin objectives of financial development in the context of financial stability and the role of law in supporting both. Financial stability (frequently seen as the avoidance of financial crisis) has become an objective of both the international financial architecture and individual economies and central banks. At the same time, financial development is now seen to play an important role in economic growth. In both financial stability and financial development, law and related institutions have a central role.

This note explores the interactions between new technologies with key areas of commercial law and potential legal changes to respond to new developments in technology and businesses. Inspired by the Bali Fintech Agenda, this note argues that country authorities need to closely examine the adequacy of their legal frameworks to accommodate the use of new technologies and implement necessary legal reform so as to reap the benefits of fintech while mitigating risks. Given the cross-border nature of new technologies, international cooperation among all relevant stakeholders is critical. The note is structured as follows: Section II describes the relations between technology, business, and law, Section III discusses the nature and functions of commercial law; Section IV provides a brief overview of developments in fintech; Section V examines the interaction between technology and commercial law; and Section VI concludes with a preliminary agenda for legal reform to accommodate the use of new technologies.

This work explores the tension in East Asia between the trend towards a convergence of legal practices in the direction of a universal model and a reassertion of local cultural practices. The trend towards convergence arises in part from 'globalisation', from 'rule of law programs' promulgated by institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank, and from widespread migration in the region, whilst the opposing trend arises in part from moves to resist such 'globalisation'. This book explores a wide range of issues related to this key problem, covering China in particular, where resolving differences in conceptions about the rule of law is a key issue as China begins to integrate itself into the World Trade Organisation regime.

The shift of economic gravity towards East Asia requires a critical examination of law's role in the Asian Century. This volume explores the diverse scholarly perspectives on law's role in the economic rise of East Asia and moves from general debates, such as whether law enjoys primacy over culture, state intervention or free markets in East Asian capitalism, to specific case studies looking at the nature of law in East Asian negotiations, contracts, trade policy and corporate governance. The collection of articles exposes the clefts and cleavages in the scholarly literature explaining law's form, function and future in the Asian Century.

This report offers an analytical framework that allows for more systemic assessments of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and its applications. It examines the evolution and typology of the emergent technology, its existing and projected applications, and regulatory and policy issues that they entail. This report highlights the trends, concerns, and potential opportunities of DLTs, especially for Asian markets. It also identifies the benefits and risks to using DLT and offers a functional and proportional approach to these issues.

Over the last few decades, many countries have reformed their secured transactions law. One of the main reasons has been the clear link between reform and the availability of credit, and the drive to improve access to finance, particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. This book focuses particularly on developing economies in Africa, which have legal frameworks influenced by English, French, Belgian, Roman-Dutch and other laws. Reform in this area of law across African countries has taken a number of forms, which are explored and discussed in this book. Secured Transactions Law Reform in Africa is a mixture of a critical description of the pre-reform law and practice, and the reform process itself. It also includes a comparative analysis of the legal provisions and an examination of the early results of the reforms. The book sets out a road map for the future of secured transactions reform; primarily in Africa, but also in other countries that have undertaken or are contemplating similar reforms. This book is the second in a series of books about Secured Transactions Law in countries around the world, and its reform, both on a national and an international scale. The first book, Secured Transactions Law Reform: Principles, Policies and Practice, was published in 2016.