Dr Nicola Howell
Faculty of Business & Law,
School of Law
Biography
Nicola is a Senior Lecturer in the Law Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. Nicola researches legal and policy issues in consumer financial services, consumer credit and other consumer transactions, and personal insolvency. Nicola's recent publications have explored the relevance of a 'Treating Customers Fairly' regulatory approach in Australia, the different definitions of financial services in consumer protection laws, the role of dispute resolution schemes in financial services, and the proposals for a shortened duration for bankruptcy. Nicola's PhD research focused on the legal solutions to over-indebtedness and the ways in which consumers experience the different solutions.At QUT, Nicola has received research grants and consultancies from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Queensland Attorney-General's Department, co-authored two background papers for the Banking Royal Commission, and has authored or contributed to submissions to government and other review bodies on issues relevant to consumer law, consumer credit, financial services, self-regulation, and personal insolvency.
Prior to her appointment at QUT, Nicola was the inaugural Director of the Centre for Credit and Consumer Law at Griffith University. Nicola is a member of the Executive of the Consumers' Federation of Australia, and has previously been a member of ASIC's Consumer Advisory Panel and the Consumer and Small Business Representative on the Banking Code Compliance Committee.
With Professor Gail Pearson, Nicola was instrumental in establishing the first Australasian Consumer Law Roundtable, an annual event that has been running since 2006, and involves academics from across Australia and New Zealand. Nicola teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students, in areas including insolvency, commercial and personal property, consumer, and banking law.
Some key publications Books
- Bolitho, Hal, Howell, Nicola, & Paterson, Jeannie Marie (2020) Duggan and Lanyon's consumer credit law (2nd ed) Lexis Nexis, Australia
- Howell, Nicola (2016) 'Making Payday Loans Safer: The Australian Approach to Regulating Small and Medium Sized Loans'. In O'Shea, Paul & Fairweather, Karen (Eds.) Credit, Consumers and The Law: After The Global Storm. Ashgate Publishing Limited. (In Press)
- Howell, Nicola (2013) Interest rate caps and price regulation in consumer credit. In Malbon, Justin & Nottage, Luke (Eds.) Consumer Law and Policy in Australia and New Zealand. The Federation Press, Annandale, NSW, pp. 311–336.
- Howell, Nicola J. (2019) Reducing the duration of bankruptcy: Relying on an entrepreneurship and innovation lens to achieve consumer bankruptcy reform. Insolvency Intelligence, 32(3), pp. 109-115.
- Howell, Nicola (2019) Shutting the courts out: Developing consumer credit law in the shadow of alternative dispute resolution and the new Australian Financial Complaints Authority. Journal of Banking and Finance Law and Practice, 30(2), pp. 57-78.
- Howell, Nicola (2018) Researching personal insolvency law and practice in Australia: An update and call for continued investment. Insolvency Law Journal, 26(3), pp. 108-115.
- Howell, Nicola J (2016) 'Small amount credit contracts and payday loans: The complementarity of price regulation and responsible lending regulation'. Alternative Law Journal, 41(3), pp. 174-178.
- Howell, Nicola & Mason, Rosalind F. (2015) 'Reinforcing stigma or delivering a fresh start: Bankruptcy and future engagement in the workforce'. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 38(4), pp. 1529-1574.
- Howell, Nicola J. (2015) 'Revisiting the Australian code of banking practice: Is self-regulation still relevant for improving consumer protection standards?' UNSW Law Journal, 38(2), pp. 544-586.
- Howell, Nicola (2014) 'The fresh start goal of the Bankruptcy Act: giving a temporary reprieve or facilitating debtor rehabilitation?' QUT Law Review, 14(3), pp. 29-52.
- Howell, Nicola, Wilson, Therese, & Davidson, James (2008) Interest rate caps : protection or paternalism.
- Howell, Nicola (2008) Joint consumer submission to the review of the code of banking practice. (Unpublished)
- Sheehan, Genevieve, Wilson, Therese, & Howell, Nicola (2008) Coming to grips with credit contracts : steps to protect vulnerable borrowers. Brotherhood of St Laurence and Griffith University Centre for Credit and Consumer Law, Fitzroy, Victoria.
Personal details
Positions
- Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Business & Law,
School of Law
Keywords
consumer credit, financial services, bankruptcy, personal insolvency, consumer law, self-regulation, regulation, CPLRC
Research field
Other law and legal studies
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (The University of Melbourne)
- Master of Law (LLM) (Griffith University)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (College of Law, New South Wales)
- Bachelor of Laws (The University of Melbourne)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) (The University of Melbourne)
- Bachelor of Laws (University of Melbourne)
Professional memberships and associations
Member, Consumers' Federation of Australia; Member, Australasian Law Academics Association; Academic Member, Banking and Financial Services Law Association; Member, INSOL Academics
Teaching
Nicola currently teaches into the following units:
- LLB204 Commercial and Personal Property Law
- LLB304 Commercial Remedies
- LLB340 Banking and Finance Law
- LLH474 Insolvency Law
- LLH480 Consumer Law in a Digital Age
Past teaching responsibilities at undergraduate and postgraduate level have included:
- LWB136 Contracts A
- LWB137 Contracts B
- LWB325/LWN325 Financial Services and Consumer Law
- LWN195 Elder Law
- LWN801 Insolvency Law and Professional Practice 1
- LWN804 Regulatory Issues Impacting Insolvency
Publications
- Howell, N., Wilson, T., Reynolds, N., Schmulow, A. & Mazzola, P. (2023). The case for a 'Treating Customers Fairly' regime in Australia: evidence from other jurisdictions and a consumer survey. Competition and Consumer Law Journal, 30(2), 183–208. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/241497
- Howell, N., (2022). Addressing the Contrasting Definitions of Financial Product and Financial Service in Australian Financial Services and Consumer Legislation. Company and Securities Law Journal, 39(2), 86–109. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/230795
- Bolitho, H., Howell, N. & Paterson, J. (2020). Duggan and Lanyon's consumer credit law. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/137208/
- Howell, N., Koessler, A., Mason, R. & Dulleck, U. (2020). Behavioural insights into the impact of bankruptcy's public record on business activity. Insolvency Law Journal, 28(3), 125–148. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/205702
- Howell, N., (2019). Shutting the courts out: Developing consumer credit law in the shadow of alternative dispute resolution and the new Australian Financial Complaints Authority. Journal of Banking and Finance Law and Practice, 30(2), 57–78. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/131970
- Paterson, J. & Howell, N. (2018). Everyday Consumer Credit Overview of Australian Law Regulating Consumer Home Loans, Credit Cards and Car Loans: Background Paper 4. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215444
- Howell, N., (2017). Making payday loans safer: the Australian approach to regulating small and medium sized loans. In P. O'Shea, R. Grantham & K. Fairweather (Eds.), Credit, consumers and the law: After the global storm (Markets and the Law) (pp. 105–131). Routledge. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/90644
- Howell, N. & Mason, R. (2015). Reinforcing stigma or delivering a fresh start: Bankruptcy and future engagement in the workforce. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 38(4), 1529–1574. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/89200
- Howell, N., (2015). Revisiting the Australian Code of Banking Practice: Is self-regulation still relevant for improving consumer protection standards? University of New South Wales Law Journal, 38(2), 544–586. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84647
- Wilson, T., Howell, N. & Sheehan, G. (2009). Protecting the most vulnerable in consumer credit transactions. Journal of Consumer Policy, 32(2), 117–140. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/27225
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Nicola, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
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