LLB Law

Competition law in an International Context is an exciting area of law, working at the confluence of law and economics. It has become increasingly important in a world of shrinking borders and is of major practical importance to businesses and consumers throughout the world.

Competition law operates to protect the free market economy by sanctioning business activities that restrict or distort competition. Competition is considered beneficial, because when firms compete for customers, they are encouraged to produce the best quality products or services through innovation at the minimum price, which is good for consumers. The course explores the key concepts that animate competition law in particular business phenomena such as mergers and acquisitions, distribution agreements, cartels and abuses of dominant position such as predatory pricing, tying and bundling and refusals to supply.

The course will primarily reflect upon the EU competition law as a model for competition regimes in many other areas of the world. It will also draw upon examples from the United States and the United Kingdom. Throughout, the course will evaluate substantive competition principles as well as the economic analysis that underpins these principles.

 The unit aims to:

Familiarise students with the rationale for and aims of different competition regimes and their relationship with other social and economic goals;  

Develop an understanding of the relationship between legal and economic concepts underpinning competition law and the legal mechanisms employed to maintain competitive markets;  

Encourage an understanding of the different approaches taken to competition law across a number of jurisdictions;  

Develop the students' ability to reflect on competition decisions from a range of competition enforcement authorities and jurisdictions; and  

To develop the students’ ability to apply competition principles to fact-based scenarios.  

This optional course unit is available to LLB Law, Law with Criminology and Law with Politics students in Year 3 of their studies.

The indicative syllabus for the unit is:  

Introduction to Competition and antitrust  

Economics and Competition—what is the consumer welfare standard  

Spread of global competition  

Goals of competition law  

Competition Law Enforcement public and private enforcement and the interface with human rights  

Anti-competitive agreements (horizontal and vertical)  

Abuse of dominance (including margin squeeze, refusal to deal, predatory pricing, rebates, tying and bundling etc)  

Mergers  

Digital antitrust and digital mergers  

Competition Law and Public interest   

The teaching will be delivered through 10 weekly lectures of two hours each and 5 workshops of two hours each.  

Students will be provided the pre-reading and lecture slides a week in advance and will be expected to come prepared to the lectures and workshops.  

Interactive quizzes will also be used to clarify and embed core competition law concepts and students will also be provided an opportunity to develop their essay writing and problem-solving skills.  

Students will be encouraged to engage in peer review in order to learn from each other and to provide feedback to each other.  

Individual personalised videos will be shared for feedback purposes at the formative stage.  

Classroom learning will be supported by Guest Lectures and Events especially in conjunction with the Competition and Markets Authority and local law firms.  

The students will also be motivated by a prize awarded on the basis of a prespecified criteria in conjunction with Addleshaw Goddard, Manchester comprising of a week-long internship at their Manchester office

Knowledge of the relationship between law and economics in the context of competition law;

Knowledge of the important considerations underpinning competition policy.

Knowledge of commercial practices and how these may be affected by competition law.

Ability to use analytical skills to evaluate competition issues;

Ability to recognise issues in complex competition judgments;

Ability to express complex legal and economic concepts in writing;

Ability to recognise anti-competitive behaviour in its various forms; Ability to identify clauses restricting competition.

Identifying competition issues in fact-based scenarios

Knowing when and how to notify a merger in the EU context;

Knowing where to go and how to "blow the whistle" on a cartel under EU Competition law;

Knowing who to contact in case of abuse of dominance in a particular the market;

Being able to advise clients on competition law issues.

Students will obtain problem solving skills as they are asked to prepared problem questions for seminar classes;

Students will develop their oral skills as they will be asked questions in lectures and seminars.

This course unit will be made up of 3 assessments:

MCQ: 20%

Essay 1000 words: 35%

Open book exam 2500 words: 45%

CORE TEXT:

Jones, Sufrin and Dunne, EU Competition Law: Texts, Cases & Materials, (7th ed, Oxford, OUP, 2019)

Colino, Competition Law of the EU and UK (8th ed, Oxford, OUP, 2019)

RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

Whish & Bailey, Competition Law (10th ed Oxford, OUP, 2021)

Lianos, Korah, and Siciliani Competition Law: Analysis, Cases, and Materials (OUP, 2019)

Assessment include Open Book examination. 

Information restricted to: FINAL YEAR STUDENTS ONLY on the BA (Law wit Politics); LLB (Law with Politics); LLB (Law); LLB (Law with Criminology) degrees, Chemistry with Patent Law.

Pre-requisites: none

Timetable: See Law School UG Timetable.