Corporate Law in Global Financial Centre

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2013:

Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.

The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:

• The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
• The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
• The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
• The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.

Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit: www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

On gaining its independence in 1965, Singapore was a developing country. Today, Singapore is a leading global financial centre that the World Bank has ranked first in the world, for six consecutive years, for its business regulations and their enforcement. Singapore has achieved this by using a unique ‘variety of capitalism’ that both challenges conventional comparative corporate governance wisdom and presents lessons for developed and developing economies. This subject will provide students with a solid foundation in Singapore company law and, in doing so, present a unique comparative perspective on some of the central debates in the field of comparative corporate law and governance.

This subject examines the core features of Singapore company law from a comparative perspective.

Principal topics will include:

• An overview of comparative corporate law and governance theory
• Contextualising the ‘Singapore story’ in comparative corporate law and governance
• An overview of Singapore company law
• An in-depth and comparative analysis of directors’ duties in Singapore
• An in-depth and comparative analysis of shareholders’ remedies in Singapore
• Proposed reforms and the path forward for Singapore corporate law and governance

A student who has successfully completed this subject will:

• Strengthen their understanding of the core concepts of company law
• Acquire a general understanding of the company law in Singapore
• Gain an in-depth and comparative understanding of directors’ duties in Singapore
• Gain an in-depth and comparative understanding of shareholders’ remedies in Singapore
• Have a working knowledge of the most important theoretical debates in the field of comparative corporate law
• Expand their knowledge of corporate law beyond their own domestic borders and by doing so acquire a fresh set of tools to effectively analyse and critique the corporate law in their home jurisdiction

Take-home examination (100%) (22–25 March)

Core subject materials will be provided free of charge to all students. Some subjects require further texts to be purchased. Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.