Here are the clickable links for you:
Mrs Suzanne Louail: s.louail@gre.ac.uk
Website: Westminster Maritime Law
Showing posts with label Westminster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Westminster. Show all posts
Monday, 14 February 2011
Maritime Law & Policy PG Research Student Conference 2011
Here are the clickable links for you:
Mrs Suzanne Louail: s.louail@gre.ac.uk
Website: Westminster Maritime Law
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Why Europeans don’t like collective investments all that much?
Have you ever wondered why 1/3 of the U.S. population are mutual fund investors? According to the Investment Company Institute’s data at the end of 2008, U.S. mutual funds managed $10 trillion for 93 million U.S. investors. Putting the numbers in perspective, the entire population of Germany, the most populated European country, is just under 82 million, while France has 65.4 million living on its territories.
Are there cultural or legal impediments for a broader acceptance of collective investments in Europe? With this research question I turned to Rudolf Siebel, Managing Director of the BVI, the German Investment and Asset Management Association. BVI represents 75 members, the Kapitalanlagegesellschaften and Asset Managers, with more than €950 billion in assets under management.
According to Rudolf, securities business in Europe is not intermediated, but mostly associated with banking. Therefore, European investment managers do not have to offer a cash product to their clients along with equity or fixed-income investment options, because uninvested cash balances are kept by the sponsoring bank. Before the Glass-Steagall Act was lifted in the U.S., fund managers have had to place clients’ cash in a bank. Each time a fund investor sold shares of a bond or equity fund, the asset manager would lose money to a bank. When money market funds came about, they were embraced by asset managers as a way to keep all cash in house. Accidentally, in 1970s - 1980s, which was a period of high inflation in the U.S., interest rates on bank deposits were regulated. Money market funds offered much higher market interest rates and attracted hoards of retail investors. Money market funds introduced a few generations to mutual fund investing fueling the growth of U.S. middle class.
At our seminar on Wednesday, April 14th, I’ll talk about nailing down my research question(s) and more generally about a super-important step of putting together an MPhil/PhD Transfer application. A wise PhD Candidate strives to learn from a painful experience of others!
Find my presentation slides titled 'Financial Regulation and Development of Financial Products: a Case for Money Market Funds' at my page:
http://westminster.academia.edu/ViktoriaBaklanova/Talks
I hope to see you all on Wednesday!
Viktoria
Friday, 4 December 2009
Promoting and Protecting Human Rights in the UK
(Thanks to PSU)
The Westminster International Law and Theory Centre, and the Student Law Society are holding a public seminar on promoting and protecting human rights in the UK.
Thursday 10 December 2009: 1400-1700.
School of Law, Room 3.07, 4 Little Titchfield St, London W1W 7UW
Attendance is free but spaces are limited. Book yours by emailing:
e.mcclean@westminster.ac.uk
The current lineup of speakers includes:
Michael Willis MP, Justice Minister
Andrew Dismore MP, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights
Prof Francesca Klug, LSE, and former Commission of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Roger Smith, Director of JusticeQuestions and Answers afterwards.
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Use of Credit Ratings in Financial Regulation
Last month the Joint Forum of the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision released the results of the survey on the use of credit ratings by its member authorities in the banking, securities, and insurance sectors. The survey answered the call of the G7’s “Report of the Financial Stability Forum on Enhancing Market and Institutional Resilience” to review whether the current regulations and/or supervisory policies unintentionally give credit ratings an official seal of approval that discourages investors from performing their own due diligence. The survey’s questionnaire was designed to elicit information regarding member authorities’ use of credit ratings in legislation, regulations, and supervisory policies. The goal of the survey was not only to collect information on internal references to “credit ratings,” “credit rating agencies,” or any references to specific credit rating agencies, but also to assess whether the use of credit ratings has had an effect of implying an endorsement of such ratings and rating agencies or discouraging investors from performing their own due diligence. The Joint Forum collected 17 surveys from member authorities, representing 26 separate agencies from 12 different countries, as well as five responses describing international frameworks.
Both in the U.S. and in Europe, credit ratings are generally used for five key purposes: (1) determining capital requirements; (2) identifying or classifying assets, usually in the context of eligible investments or permissible asset concentrations; (3) providing a credible evaluation of the credit risk associated with assets purchased as part of a securitization offering or a covered bond offering; (4) determining disclosure requirements; and (5) determining prospectus eligibility.
The first regulatory reference to the ratings in the U.S. is found in 1931 in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Reserve examination rules, and was mainly based on distinction between investment grade securities, generally rated BBB/Baa and above, and securities of below-investment grade quality. Over time, regulators in the U.S. and globally have incorporated credit ratings into laws and regulations to set capital requirements for regulated entities, provide a disclosure framework, and restrict investments. Recognizing possible unintended consequences of the regulatory use of ratings, in the summer of 2008 the SEC in three separate releases proposed and sought public comments to amendments to most of the SEC’s rules that rely on security ratings with alternative requirements.
Sixty three comments were submitted in response to the SEC's call. The analysis of the responses highlights a high level of dependency of all market constituents on the CRA ratings as a common measure of creditworthiness, especially in the world of less transparent structured credit securities. The behavior of market constituents, including investors, issuers, and regulated entities has been affected by such dependence. The SEC proposal came about to address the perceived failure of the CRA to accurately indicate riskiness of structured credit securities. Still, the feedback to the SEC proposals to eliminate references to credit ratings assigned by CRAs in its rule indicates that the market participants are not ready to accept responsibilities for an independent credit risk assessment. We infer that investors, fiduciaries, and regulated entities are looking to regulators to offer a common measure of risk, accurate and free of conflict of interests. At the very minimum, the market participants expect the SEC and European regulators to assume a more important role in controlling the integrity of the credit rating process.
Please, see the fuller version of the analysis here. The paper can be downloaded from SSRN.
Both in the U.S. and in Europe, credit ratings are generally used for five key purposes: (1) determining capital requirements; (2) identifying or classifying assets, usually in the context of eligible investments or permissible asset concentrations; (3) providing a credible evaluation of the credit risk associated with assets purchased as part of a securitization offering or a covered bond offering; (4) determining disclosure requirements; and (5) determining prospectus eligibility.
The first regulatory reference to the ratings in the U.S. is found in 1931 in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Reserve examination rules, and was mainly based on distinction between investment grade securities, generally rated BBB/Baa and above, and securities of below-investment grade quality. Over time, regulators in the U.S. and globally have incorporated credit ratings into laws and regulations to set capital requirements for regulated entities, provide a disclosure framework, and restrict investments. Recognizing possible unintended consequences of the regulatory use of ratings, in the summer of 2008 the SEC in three separate releases proposed and sought public comments to amendments to most of the SEC’s rules that rely on security ratings with alternative requirements.
Sixty three comments were submitted in response to the SEC's call. The analysis of the responses highlights a high level of dependency of all market constituents on the CRA ratings as a common measure of creditworthiness, especially in the world of less transparent structured credit securities. The behavior of market constituents, including investors, issuers, and regulated entities has been affected by such dependence. The SEC proposal came about to address the perceived failure of the CRA to accurately indicate riskiness of structured credit securities. Still, the feedback to the SEC proposals to eliminate references to credit ratings assigned by CRAs in its rule indicates that the market participants are not ready to accept responsibilities for an independent credit risk assessment. We infer that investors, fiduciaries, and regulated entities are looking to regulators to offer a common measure of risk, accurate and free of conflict of interests. At the very minimum, the market participants expect the SEC and European regulators to assume a more important role in controlling the integrity of the credit rating process.
Please, see the fuller version of the analysis here. The paper can be downloaded from SSRN.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Westminster Graduate Conference 2009
The School of Law,University of Westminster,
and
The Westminster International Law & Theory Centre
The 2009 Westminster
Graduate Conference
The Limits of Law: Justice Politics Ethics
Friday, 12th of June, 2009
Room 358
University of Westminster
309, Regent Street, London W1B
Attendance if free but please reserve a seat by emailing Samantha King
S.King5@westminster.ac.uk
The 2009 Westminster Graduate Conference
The Limits of Law: Justice Politics Ethics
The School of Law, University of Westminster and the Westminster International
Law & Theory Centre are pleased to welcome you to the Westminster Graduate Law and Politics Conference on “The Limits of Law: Justice Politics Ethics”. The conference aims to be a friendly, workshop-like gathering where graduate students present, discuss and challenge aspects of law, politics and theory in various subject areas.
The conference consists of four sessions dedicated to typical categories of law and justice analysed through unorthodox and critical perspectives. The first session in the morning explores concepts of human rights, intellectual property rights and environmental rights. The second session deals with the inclusion and exclusion of the subjects of law. After lunch, the spotlight falls onto international justice. Session three, enter courts and their role in tackling international and transnational offences. The last session indulges in force and its ‘legal’ effects.
PROGRAMME
Registration (8.45 - 9.00)
Session One (9.00 - 11.15)
‘Rights’
Adriana Giunta, “The Right to the Environment or a ‘New’ Right to the Environment? Its Challenges and Opportunities” (University of Hull)
Viktoria Baklanova, “First Amendment Opportunism: Preserving the Freedom of Speech for Credit Rating Agencies” (University of Westminster)
Chikosa Banda, “Reforming the Patent System to Promote more R&D into Diseases of the Developing World: Limits of the Existing Approaches” (University of Cambridge)
Sharon Persaud, “‘Closed in an open sort of way:’ Luhmann and the border control of law” (Birckbeck College London)
Laura Niada, “The Human Right to Essential Medicines in sub-Saharan Africa: Contingency and Biopolitics” (University of Westminster)
COFFEE BREAK
Session Two (11.30 - 13.30)
‘Subjects’
Craig Reeves, “’Exploding the Limits of Law’: Judgment and Freedom in Arendt and Adorno” (King’s College London)
Margaret Fitzgerald, “The Usual Suspects: Analysing the Use of Past Criminal Convictions in the Justice System” (University College Cork, Ireland)
Amanda Machin, “Testing the Nation? Citizenship, Identification and Diversity” (University of Westminster)
Alan Desmond, “Justice Before Law: The Case for Regularisation of Undocumented Migrants in the EU” (University College Cork, Ireland)
LUNCH
Session Three (14.30 - 16.30)
‘Courts’
Daniela Nadj, “The Limitation of International Law - The Overdetermination of Ethnicity and Marginalisation of Gender in ICTY Wartime Sexual Violence Jurisprudence” (University of Westminster)
Megan Ward, “Ivory Tower? Congolese Child Soldier Users and the International Criminal Court” (University of Essex)
Muhammad B. Ismail, “Diplomatic Immunities in Islamic and International Diplomatic Law” (University of Hull)
Fabian Zhilla, “Judicial Corruption and Organised Crime” (King’s College London)
COFFEE BREAK
Session Four (16.45 - 19.00)
‘Force’
Kristian Lasslett, “Foreign Policy as a Crime Facilitative System: Australia's 'Constructive Commitment' to the South Pacific and the Bougainville Conflict 1988-1990” (University of Westminster)
Hanum Mokhtar, “Reforming the Reluctant United Nations Legal Regime on the Use of Force: Breaking the Boulder Blocks” (King’s College London)
Liam D. Askins, “The Historical Development of the Law of Occupation” (University of Hull)
Masha Baraza, “Institutional Re/membering: Lessons for Kenya from the South African Experience” (University of Warwick)
Munir Nuseibah, “Law Vs Justice: Case Study of Israel’s Conduct in Jerusalem” (University of Westminster)
REFRESHMENTS
The Westminster International Law & Theory Centre
School of Law University of Westminster
The Westminster International Law & Theory Centre is dedicated to exploring theoretical strands in the study of law within an international/transnational context. The Centre develops and encourages further research and collaboration both at a national and international level through its Online Working Papers Series, which are double peer-reviewed and distributed through our website and SSRN; an initiative of internships that allow graduate students to get involved in organisational and steering matters of the centre; and through a successful series of public events, such as lectures, film shows, dialogues, symposia and workshops like the one in which you have kindly agreed to participate today. We have taken all possible measures so that your experience of the event will be fruitful and thought-provoking, and we hope to carry on our co-operation in the future.
For more information, please check
http://www.wmin.ac.uk/law/page-661
Forthcoming Events
Friday, 5th June, 9:00-18:00
Critical Environmental Law: A Workshop on the Limits of the Environment with Radha De Souza, Sharron A. FitzGerald, Pablo Ghetti, Mark Halsey, Jane Holder, Andreas Kotsakis, Bettina Lange, Karen Morrow, John Paterson, Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos, Alain Pottage, Paul Street, Inger-Johanne Sand, The Boardroom, Regent Street, W1B
17th June, 13:00-14:30
Prof Gary Wickham (Murdoch)
The Role of ‘Society’ in the Law-Society Relation
Room 2.14, Little Titchfield St, W1W
2nd October, 17:00
Elizabeth Povinelli (Columbia) and Sarah Franklin (LSE) in conversation
Location tbc
To reserve a place please email Samantha King at S.King5@westminster.ac.uk
Contact Details
Conference Organisers
Laura Niada l.niada@my.westminster.ac.uk
Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos andreaspm@westminster.ac.uk
Centre Directors
Julia Chryssostalis J.Chryssostalis@westminster.ac.uk
Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos
Centre Secretary
Samantha King S.King5@westminster.ac.uk
Conference Participants and Email
Liam D. Askins
Viktoria Baklanova
Chikosa Banda
Masha Baraza
Alan Desmond
Margaret Fitzgerald
Adriana Giunta
Muhammad B. Ismail
Kristian Lasslett
Amanda Machin
Hanum Mokhtar
Daniela Nadj
Laura Niada
Munir Nuseibah
Sharon Persaud
Craig Reeves
Megan A. Ward
Fabian Zhilla
Monday, 1 June 2009
Advanced Legal Studies @ Westminster
Hello...
This new blog will be written by the members of the Department of Advanced Legal Studies (DALS) in the School of Law at the University of Westminster. I apologize for the mouthful but I won't need to say it again.
All our members are research active and were submitted in the RAE2008. We cover a wide variety of research interests from empirical studies of law to more doctrinal approaches. We will discuss these in later posts.
You can contact me at johnflood@gmx.com.
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