For more information on Australian legal research, see:
The central piece of legislation for Australian competition law is the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Note that it was previously named the Trade Practices Act 1974. The name officially changed on 1 January 2011.
The full text of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) is set out in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Laws to apply the ACL as a law of each State and Territory have been enacted in all States and Territories. For transactions that occurred up to 31 December 2010, the previous national, State and Territory consumer laws will continue to apply.
Annotated legislation materials are a good starting point for understanding the law. Note, that these resources may not always be current.
Search cases and find subsequent consideration of a particular case. Case citators also list parallel citations, litigation history, legislation and words and phrases judicially considered and cases cited. For Australian cases use:
Please note that authorised reports should be used when citing cases.
See Authorised Law Report Guide for a list of authorised reports in Australia:
For more information on searching for journal articles see the:
Search the library catalogue for books using keyword search or subject search. You can narrow your results to online books only, however, the number of Australian competition law books in ebook format is limited. See below for the relevant results for:
Miller's Australian competition and consumer law annotated
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Miller’s Australian Competition and Consumer Law Annotated has established itself as the essential resource on the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Practitioners, businesses, academics and students will benefit from the updated legislation in this 42nd edition, and from Russell Miller’s expert annotation commentary at provision level, guiding readers through the meaning of the law with the benefit of judicial interpretation of the provisions of the Act. The book also contains related legislation and materials.
Duggan & Lanyon's consumer credit law
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Duggan & Lanyon’s Consumer Credit Law is suitable for both lawyers specialising in lending as well as those whose practitioners whose involvement with the Code is more peripheral. The updated and revised second edition covers all major developments in legislation and case law since the first edition was published in 1999.
Written by experts in the field, this title concentrates on the Code but covers related laws and various state and territory laws governing the licensing and registration of credit providers and the constitution of tribunals.
Consumer protection law in Australia
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Consumer Protection Law in Australia provides a clear and detailed explanation of the application and effect of consumer protection and product liability law in Australia, fostering a sound understanding of the legislative landscape in force since the introduction of the single regulatory scheme. The author explains the mechanism under which the federal and state and territory laws operate and provides a ’road map’ to all aspects of the consumer regime, including regulation and public and private enforcement. Key areas such as consumer guarantees, unfair contract provisions and product liability are comprehensively discussed. The book is an invaluable guide for legal practitioners, academics and students.
Corones' competition law in Australia
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The Eighth Edition of Corones' Competition Law in Australia provides a clear and comprehensive discussion of the competition and access provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) It covers horizontal and vertical restraints, misuse of market power, mergers, as well as access to essential services and infrastructure. The text explains the statutory provisions and provides an accessible discussion of the economic tools and concepts used in competition decision-making. It also describes the evolution of the statutory text and the approach of the courts and agencies in interpreting and applying the key provisions.
Corones' Australian consumer law
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Corones’ Australian Consumer Law , explains in a detailed yet accessible treatment the substantive rights and remedies of consumers, and the obligations of traders under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
The ACL is a uniform consumer protection law that applies in all jurisdictions throughout Australia. This book explains the law created by the ACL and the policy underlying it. This book covers the general and specific provisions of the ACL, and the remedial and enforcement regimes. It examines how the different parts of the ACL inter-relate, the scope for overlap, and why each provision is necessary to provide complete consumer protection.
Annotated competition and consumer legislation
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The 2019 edition of Annotated Competition and Consumer Legislation provides an essential guide to the Australian competition and consumer law in Australia. This title includes the latest legislative amendments to 1 January 2019 and provides commentary on, inter alia, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Australian Consumer Law Review) Act 2018 which gives effect to a number of proposals of the Australian Consumer Law Review Final Report, the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No 3) Act 2018 which aligns the Australian Consumer Law penalties with the competition law provisions, and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Gift Cards) Act 2018 which introduces a minimum three-year expiry period for gift cards; as well as noting the impact on intellectual property licensing of the proposed Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No.5) Bill 2018 and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2018 which provides for divestiture in the wholesale electricity market.
Australian competition law
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Australian Competition Law provides an engaging and authoritative treatment of Australian competition law and is an ideal text both for practitioners and for those studying the subject for the first time.
The clear explanations of complex concepts and the lively style foster a sound understanding of the legal principles of competition law in Australia and its economic underpinnings. It includes a chapter how to understand competition law cases to develop skill in area-specific case analysis.
Australian consumer law : commentary and materials
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Australian Consumer Law: Commentary and Materials contains up-to-date material on the Australian Consumer Law which came into operation on 1 January 2011, replacing 17 different pieces of Commonwealth, State and Territory legislation relating to consumer protection. The sixth edition has been thoroughly revised and updated for the following developments:
Australian Cartel Regulation
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Cartel regulation is a prime element of competition policy and an essential means of minimising the adverse effects of cartel activity on economic welfare. However, effective cartel regulation poses distinct challenges for governments, competition authorities and commentators across the globe. In Australian Cartel Regulation, leading competition law experts Caron Beaton-Wells and Brent Fisse reflect on developments in anti-cartel law in Australia over the last 30 years. They provide a comprehensive account of the current law on cartels as well as discussing key issues that may arise in the future. This definitive volume not only identifies the practical and theoretical issues, but also recommends workable solutions, and does so with the benefit of comparative analysis of the anti-cartel laws of major overseas jurisdictions. Many of the issues identified and discussed in Australian Cartel Regulation are common to any scheme designed to regulate cartel conduct.
Please note, the references provided are not exhaustive of all the inquiries, reports and guidelines of the competition authorities in Australia.
The Australian Competition Law website provides a list of inquiries and reports from 1976 including links to full text documents.
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) merger guidelines were published November 2008 providing clarification on the assessments of acquisition under sections 50 and 50A of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (the Act) formerly the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).
The Australian Competition Law website provides links to ACCC guidelines, including in relation to: