The Criminal Law of Competition in the Uk and in the Us: Failure and Success

In 2002, the UK introduced a criminal competition law into the UK legal system for the first time since the 18th century. Using a range of analytical lenses, Mark Furse re-appraises this law ten years on, and provides an extensive analysis of its features.

This invigorating work details the policy arguments behind the introduction of the law, and examines - through consideration of the successful prosecutions in the US - the extent to which the law in practice may be considered to have succeeded or failed in the UK. The role of the US as global antitrust policeman is also considered. The book concludes with a consideration of the difficulties facing the UK in choosing to pursue a criminal route within the current civil framework.

Including full discussions of relevant literature relating to the criminalization of cartels, and the use of personal sanctions against cartelists, this book will appeal to postgraduates and advanced undergraduate students of competition law, competition law practitioners in the UK, EU and US, as well as competition law enforcement personnel.

Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Criminalisation of Cartel Activity: Economics and Law 3. Criminalization in the United States 4. Criminalization in the UK: The Cartel Offense 5. Criminalization in Ireland 6. Case Studies 7. Conclusion Index