Faculty/School

Faculty of Business and Law

School of Law

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Primary Supervisor

Dr Nicola Howell
Position
Senior Lecturer
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Business & Law

Overview

In 2025, New Zealand’s Financial Market (Conduct of Institutions) Amendment Act 2022 came into force. Among other things, the amendments imposed a new duty on licensed firms to implement a Fair Conduct Programme. This project will explore the early implementation of this obligation, through analysis of the public information on Fair Conduct Programmes (including the summary document required by the legislation) and other commentary. This project will contribute to an ARC Discovery Project: A new "Treating Customers Fairly" law for Australia's financial industry.

Research engagement

The student will engage with a literature review, doctrinal analysis and review of published fair conduct programmes by New Zealand banks.

Research activities

The student will identify relevant academic commentary, parliamentary and policy documents, and broader commentary on the new obligations to establish a Fair Conduct Programme, collate and review the published Fair Conduct Programme Summaries to identify common and unique features, and write a draft report or draft article on the results. There may also be scope to incorporate some comparison with the approaches to fairness obligations that are published by Australian banks.

The student will be working with Dr Nicola Howell, School of Law.

Research skills

Doctrinal analysis, literature reviews and analysis, document analysis, and academic writing

Outcomes

Report and/or journal article that covers: (i) Analysis of the statutory requirement to implement a Fair Conduct Programme, including with reference to parliamentary documents, academic commentary and grey literature; and (ii) Document analysis of the Fair Conduct Programme summaries that are published by NZ banks. There may also be some comparison with fairness obligations on Australian banks.

Skills and experience

An understanding of consumer financial services regulation would be helpful, but is not essential.

Start date

2 November, 2026

End date

19 February, 2027

Location

QUT Gardens Point campus

Keywords

Contact

Nicola Howell

07 3138 2006

nicola.howell@qut.edu.au