Faculty of Law

The Consumer Research Unit provides an independent voice on consumer issues.

With the continuing support of the Western AustralianDepartment of Commerce, the Unit aims to improve the understanding of consumer markets and consumer protection frameworks.

The Consumer Research Unit offers short courses and workshops in current consumer law issues.

Recent and upcoming events

Publication of Consumer Law and Policy in Australia and New Zealand – Federation Press

Three members of the Consumer Research Unit: Aviva Freilich, Nyuk Nahan and Eileen Webb are among 14 Consumer Law experts invited to contribute to Consumer Policy in Australia and New Zealand. This book, edited by Professors Luke Nottage (Faculty of Law, The University of Sydney) and Justin Malbon (Faculty of Law (Monash University), provides an advanced and wide-ranging analysis of current consumer law issues.

In summary, the publication examines the ‘Australian Consumer Law’ reform package in a broad context and compares it to recent reform initiatives especially in New Zealand. It considers consumer law developments in other economies including the European Union, Japan, Canada and the United States, as well as parallel re-regulation of consumer credit and other financial markets impacting on consumers. The book also examines policy considerations and market transformations, as well as the often complex legislative history associated with recent consumer law reform proposals in Australia and New Zealand. Specific areas covered include: definitions of ‘consumers’, comparative consumer law reform, statutory guarantees and controls over unfair terms in consumer contracts, regulation of unconscionable conduct, a possible general prohibition of ‘unfair practices’, product liability and safety regulation, responsible lending and ‘hardship’ provisions for consumer credit, consumer banking and financial advice, protections for vulnerable consumers, interest rate caps, dispute resolution, regulatory powers and e-commerce.

For more details see Federation Press

Roundtable  Forum: Health Wealth and Hearth: Perspectives on an Ageing Australia

On 13-14 February 2013 the Consumer Research Unit, hosted a multidisciplinary round table titled Health, Wealth and Hearth: Perspectives on an Ageing Australia. The round table was supported by the Institute of Advanced Studies, UWA. The round table brought together experts and practitioners with a specialization in seniors medical, financial and housing issues and concerns.

Guest presenters included Professor Norah Keating, (University of Alberta) and Professor Lorna Fox-O'Mahoney (Durham University). Associated with the roundtable were a public lecture by Professor Norah Keating titled: Friendly for Whom? Rethinking aged friendly communities. (LINK) The lecture was extremely well attended with attendees filling the Webb Lecture Theatre. Professor Lorna Fox O’Mahony  presented a Masterclass: Ageing, Inequalities, and (Financial)Vulnerabilities (LINK) that was attended by post graduate students from a variety of disciplines. Again this event was very well attended with the maximum of 25 places taken up a week before the Masterclass.

Research News

ADVOCACY groups say Western Australia's seniors are suffering the worst of the rental crisis.
Herald Sun  March 18, 2013

Research Projects

Do WA's housing laws support our ageing population?
The Consumer Research Unit and Council of the Ageing WA received $225,000 funding from Lotterywest to undertake the research.

Chief investigator Associate Professor Eileen Webb, from UWA Law School's Consumer Research Unit, said researchers would talk to seniors, carers, agencies and other stakeholders to identify housing and other accommodation-related issues. 

For further information about the project visit the webpage.  For further information and Have-a-Go News, General news section page 24.

Seniors housing in rural and regional Western Australia and Alberta
The project examines the distinctive housing concerns impacting on seniors in rural and regional areas in Western Australia and Alberta.  In conjunction with the Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Alberta, Consumer Research Unit researchers will engage in a comparison between housing and accommodation laws in the two jurisdictions.

Telecommunications misconduct
Project to help refugees and migrants avoid phone trap  Graduate Law student, Alicia Snyders and Associate Professor Eileen Webb, with the assistance of the Edmund Rice Centre, Mirrabooka, are researching alleged instances of misconduct engaged in by some telecommunications companies towards migrants and humanitarian entrants in Perth.

Research Publications

Publications

Workshop

• Current Issues in Consumer Law and Policy (TBA 2014)