Economists should debate disputed business practices in court to aid judges, head of Hong Kong’s Competition Tribunal says
- Godfrey Lam says lessons can be learned for the city from the experience of other jurisdictions
- Experts say debates in court, known as ‘hot tubbing’, can help judges to understand complex economic matters
Hong Kong’s Competition Tribunal could learn from the experience in foreign jurisdictions in allowing economists to debate disputed business practices in court to help judges understand complex economic evidence.
The tribunal’s president Godfrey Lam Wan-ho made the remarks on the sidelines of the city’s anti-trust watchdog’s inaugural Competition Exchange forum.
The international event, organised by the Competition Commission and of which the South China Morning Post is a media partner, attracted more than 200 anti-trust and legal professionals, businessmen and officials from around the world.
Under anti-trust laws, companies are prohibited from employing uncompetitive practices, such as forming cartels, to monopolise the market at the expense of consumers. Businesses can be brought to the competition tribunal in their jurisdictions.
Hong Kong’s anti-trust law was implemented nearly three years ago.