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This research will fill a significant gap in Australian scholars’ and policymakers’ knowledge of harmful financial products, their impact on the lives of Australian consumers and their role in perpetuating financial exclusion. It will combine a comprehensive legal analysis with a rigorous empirical study of these products and their impact.

'Restoring public trust in charities – reforming governance and enforcement' is a project from the Centre for Corporate Law which aims to undertake comparative analysis and empirical research and to develop proposals for effective law and policy reform. It is expected to strengthen and maximize the charity sector’s capacity to contribute to social and economic life in Australia.

The 'Financial Exclusion, Poor Insurer Practices and Consumer Protection' project is Australia’s first large-scale empirical study examining financial exclusion and lack of access to general insurance, as well as poor insurer practices in selling insurance and handling claims. Through surveys, focus groups and interviews, the project also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the legal protections for consumers of general insurance.

This project entails an in-depth study of the relationship between financial stress and Australian personal insolvency laws in order to evaluate the effectiveness of these laws in practice. Major surveys of financial counsellors, consumer solicitors, consumer advocates and their clients will reveal how Australians respond to financial stress within the framework of Australia's personal insolvency laws, allowing for a detailed evaluation of that framework.

The Financial Hardship Project is an initiative of the Centre for Corporate Law. The project is the first in-depth study of the practical operation of Australia's financial hardship laws.

To strengthen Australia's economic fabric, this project aims to determine the optimal method of dealing with fraudulent phoenix activity through a thorough examination of all of its aspects in Australia and by a comparative analysis of international responses.

This is expected to provide significant benefits in enabling commercial activity that responds to societal expectations in relation to sustainability, climate change, biodiversity and human rights, as well as commercial benefits.

The ASIC Penalties Project is the first in-depth study of the practical operation of penalties imposed by courts and other bodies under legislation administered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

This collaborative project examined the appropriateness of existing corporate legal frameworks as they apply to not-for-profit (NFP) companies. It challenged the application of laws designed for companies with profit making objectives to NFP organisations. The project considered the issues of reporting and accountability to NFP stakeholders and how these stakeholders (and their needs) differ from those of stakeholders in 'for-profit' companies.

'Defining, Regulating and Taxing the Not-for-Profit Sector in Australia: Law and Policy for the 21st Century' is a project that addresses both the needs of the Not-for-profit sector and public expectations of it by comprehensively researching legal definition, regulation and tax rules and recommending appropriate reform

Reviews of books written or edited by Centre for Corporate Law members.

The Corporate Governance and Workplace Partnerships Project will examine the interaction between several key factors in the creation and sustainability of 'Partnerships at Work'. The project proposes to discover how these various factors (particular employment systems, forms of corporate governance and ownership structures) have interacted so as to give rise to — or fail to give rise to — 'high performance' partnership-style relations at work.

The 'Safeguarding the Financial Wellbeing of Australians by Improving Financial Literacy Project' is an initiative of the Centre for Corporate Law at Melbourne Law School. The project contributes to a broader understanding of the role of financial literacy and consumer behaviour in Australia, and its relationship with Australia's financial services and consumer protection laws.

The 'Employee Share Ownership Plans: Current Practice and Regulatory Reform' project is a joint initiative of the Centre for Corporate Law, the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law and The Tax Group.

'Legal Origins: The Impact of Different Legal Systems on the Regulation of the Business Enterprise in the Asia-Pacific Region Project' investigates whether the origin of a country's legal system (common law, civil law, and so on) gives rise to a distinctive regulatory style/legal environment which is more, or less, conducive to the efficient operation of the business enterprise.

Centre for International Finance and Regulation (CIFR) projects being undertaken by members of the Centre for Corporate Law, in conjunction with other collaborators.

Publications arising from the 'Defining Taxing and Regulating the Not-for-Profit in Australia' project, by members of the Centre for Corporate Law.

This research project explores whether greater regional cooperation in financial regulation and integration is needed in Asia, in light of the US/EU-centric development of international regulatory standards and rules, and the appropriateness of possible forms of regional architectures to achieve greater regional cooperation.

This project addresses both the needs of the not-for-profit sector and public expectations of it by comprehensively researching legal definition, regulation and tax rules and recommending appropriate reform, thereby making a significant contribution to National Priority Research area, Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Well Being, Priority Goal 4, 'understanding and strengthening key elements of Australia's social and economic fabric'.

Publications arising from the 'Defining Taxing and Regulating the Not-for-Profit in Australia' project, by members of the Centre for Corporate Law.