Law, Public Policy and Economics in Japan and Australia: Reviewing Bilateral Relations and Commercial Regulation in 2009

Abstract

The paper is based on my contributions to the East Asia Forum blog (and my partially overlapping "Japanese Law and the Asia Pacific" blog) drawing mainly on developments from the end of 2008 through to mid-2009. Many topics are important not only within Australia and Japan, but also potentially for bilateral relations (for example, as novel dimensions to the FTA or 'Economic Partnership Agreement' already under negotiation between these two countries). Several topics (for example, the state of economics as a discipline after the GFC, neo-communitarian perspectives on comparative law and society, the legacy of the post-War Occupation of Japan) also address more broadly how we should (re)conceptualise law, economics and public policy particularly in the Asia-Pacific context.

As in my survey of developments over 2008, readers can read through these topics sequentially, as I tried to link them to previous postings and therefore create a 'chain novel' narrative effect. But readers may prefer to jump around the topics in their own order of interest, especially as some postings were uploaded initially in response to particular developments (such as announcements for major consumer law and then arbitration law reforms in Australia).

Keywords: Japanese law, Australian law, Asian law, bilateral relations, public policy and law reform, tourism, whaling, international trade law (WTO and FTA), arbitration, consumer law and financial markets regulation, social policy (labour law, multiculturalism), nationality law, legal profession

JEL Classification: K10, K20, K30