LAWCOMM 422 : Competition Law

Law

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A study of the principles of competition law in New Zealand including the effect on competition law of the CER Agreement with Australia. Comparison with the competition laws of other countries including the United States, the European Union and Australia.

Course Overview

This course seeks to foster an understanding of the policy, statutory, economic, and international dimensions of competition law and policy in New Zealand.
   
Competition law (or antitrust law) aims to protect and promote competition among market participants by applying general rules on a case-by-case basis which prohibit market conduct that might undermine the competitive process. Competition law is distinguished from many other laws and government measures that impact market competition in one way or another, including by restricting, distorting, regulating, creating, or protecting competition. These fall outside of the ambit of the course.

The appropriate objective and approach to competition law has always been contested. In recent decades, competition law was typically seen as having the objective of promoting efficiency or consumer welfare. In the US, however, the post Neo-Brandeis movement, which seeks to return antitrust to its more interventionist past, gained positions of influence in the Biden administration. It is unclear whether or not the movement will have a lasting impact.

Significant, but not radical, changes to competition law in New Zealand have occurred in recent years, including a new test for single-firm anticompetitive conduct and additional rules that restrict competition for covenants on land. In 2024, the Commerce Commission declined to grant clearance for two mergers - the first since 2018. Competition studies into fuel, building supplies, groceries, and banking conducted by the Commerce Commission under Part A of the Commerce Act  has lead to industry-specific regulations, e.g. the Grocery Industry Competition Act 2023. 

Competition law is heavily influenced and animated by economics and economists. An understanding of the subject requires some appreciation of the economic ideas that guide the application of the law. The course examines the law and economics of restrictive business practices and mergers under the Commerce Act. No prior knowledge of economics is assumed or required.

Topics covered:
  • Objective of competition law
  • Basic competition economics
  • Market definition, the assessment of market power and conditions of entry, and competition tests
  • Hardcore cartels and the treatment of tacit collusion
  • Joint ventures and cooperation between competitors and other agreements that may substantially lessen competition
  • Unilateral misuse of market power, such as predatory pricing, bundling and tying, and refusals to deal
  • The assessment of mergers that substantially lessen competition, including mergers that may better facilitate coordination between competitors
  • The relationship between competition law and innovation, intellectual property law, and information technology
  • The application of the public benefit test and the review of the authorisation process
The course will familiarise you with a selection of New Zealand and Australian cases and Commerce Commission determinations. Where useful, we also compare and assess New Zealand law against the position in the United States and Europe.

We will not cover the price control provisions in Part 4 of the Commerce Act nor the industry-specific regulations applied to the dairy, electricity, or telecommunications industries.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: LAW 241 or COMLAW 201 and 203 Restriction: LAW 419

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Laws

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Evaluate the current issues of principle and policy underlying the application of competition law (Capability 1.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  2. Describe the fundamental elements of competition law and competition policy analysis (Capability 1.2, 3.1, 3.2 and 6.1)
  3. Critically reflect upon the law, economic and legal principles underpinning competition law enforcement (Capability 1.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
  4. Explain the core principles of competition law jurisprudence of New Zealand (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 6.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quiz 0% Individual Coursework
Assignment 50% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Quiz
Assignment
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This is a standard 15-point course. There will be around 36 hours of lectures in this course. As a general guide, you should expect a workload of three hours outside of the classroom for each hour spent in class. The guideline for the total workload for this course is 150 hours.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including seminars to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Legislation
It is essential that you have access to, and become familiar with, the Commerce Act 1986. The Act has been amended a number of times. You might find it convenient to download and print out the PDF of version from the New Zealand Legislation website.   

Please ensure you have an updated version of the Act.

Reading Materials
Practical realities require a balance in putting together the course materials. Competition law cases tend to be long and fact-intensive. The reading of whole cases rather than just extracts is important to better appreciate the subject. The most important cases address a number of separate issues and some will be referred to more than one part of the course. However, the size of course materials are capped and student time is finite. In addressing the trade-off between comprehensive coverage and complete cases, a decision has been made to have course materials that contain longer extracts from a smaller number of cases. There is value to reading some whole cases to get a feel for competition law.

All of the materials are available through Canvas. The Law School is no longer producing either hardcopy or pdf versions of the course book. The pdf of the 2019 course book for Competition Law has been posted on Canvas and is available for downloading. The 2019 course book contains some, but not all, of the 2025 reading materials.

Commerce Commission Guidelines
The Commerce Commission has published a number of valuable guidelines. The most important guidelines for this course are the Mergers and Acquisition Guidelines (July 2022), Competitor Collaboration Guidelines (2018), Misuse of Market Power Guidelines (2023) Authorisation Guidelines (2023). All of the guidelines are published on the Commission’s website: www.comcom.govt.nz.

The suggested textbook was: Noonan, Competition Law in New Zealand (2017). This is the most up to date textbook on New Zealand competition law. It grew out of this course and follows a similar structure. That said, many chapters are dated. The Davis Law Library holds several copies of the book.  Another useful book is Ahdar, The Evolution of Competition Law in New Zealand (2020), which focuses on the historical development of New Zealand competition law. 

Digital Resources 
Course materials are made available in Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings. Detailed PowerPoint slides for each of the topic covered in the course will also be posted on Canvas.  

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor. 

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

The coursework for has been changed since the last time the course has been taught to reflect the new University Assessment Policy and Procedures.

Other Information

Contact Details
Law Student Centre Level 2, 1-1 Short St
undergradlaw@auckland.ac.nz

Lecturer Contact Details
Chris Noonan
Room 743, Level 7, 1-11 Short St
Email: c.noonan@auckland.ac.nz

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course director, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a Student Academic and Support Adviser as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 31/10/2024 08:49 p.m.