The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Immunity Policy for Cartel Conduct: A Critical Legal Analysis

This thesis provides a critical legal analysis of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Immunity Policy for Cartel Conduct. The Immunity Policy is touted as the ‘most effective anti-cartel enforcement tool in the world’ as it aims to increase cartel detection and deterrence by offering the first cartel participant full immunity from civil and criminal penalties. This thesis presents a detailed examination of the theory underpinning the policy’s design and intended operation to question whether the current model of assessing the effectiveness of the policy needs to be enhanced in light of more recent theoretical developments.