Attendance is expected at scheduled activities to complete components of the course.

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for the test, workshop and exam.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

This course employs a highly interactive, practice-oriented methodology that moves beyond traditional lectures. Students actively engage with material through:

• Case Study Analysis: Students dissect landmark cases and recent regulatory actions, analysing judicial reasoning, regulatory responses, and business implications in small group discussions and full-class debates
• Student Presentations: Teams present on assigned topics, regulatory developments, or comparative jurisdictional approaches, developing both subject expertise and professional communication skills
• Live Discussions & Debates: Structured discussions on various issues such as crypto regulation, regulatory adequacy, and policy trade-offs encourage critical thinking and diverse perspectives
• Simulations & Role-Play: Students assume roles as regulators, compliance officers, legal advisers, or market participants to navigate complex scenarios including IPO launches, insider trading investigations, and AML compliance audits
• Problem-Based Learning: Real-world problems require students to apply legal principles, draft compliance memos, and develop practical solutions to contemporary market challenges
• Guest Practitioner Sessions: Industry professionals and regulators share insights and engage in Q&A sessions

Students are expected to come prepared, participate actively, and collaborate with peers. Assessment emphasises practical application through presentations, case analyses, group projects, and written submissions that mirror professional work products. By course completion, students possess not only theoretical knowledge but also the analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills essential for success in financial markets.

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

The course draws on diverse, contemporary sources that reflect how financial market law evolves and is practised in the real world:

• Legislative Materials: Statutes, regulations, and parliamentary/congressional reports document the evolution of financial market law and policy rationales
• Case Law: Judicial decisions from domestic and international jurisdictions provide the doctrinal foundation and illustrate how courts interpret and apply financial market regulations
• Academic Journal Articles: Scholarly analyses offer theoretical frameworks, comparative perspectives, and critical evaluations of regulatory approaches and market developments
• Regulatory Publications: Official guidance, consultation papers, enforcement actions, and policy statements from securities regulators and central banks worldwide
• Financial Press & News Media: Articles from the Financial Times, Bloomberg, and specialist publications track breaking developments and market trends
• Industry Podcasts: Curated audio content from legal, financial, and regulatory experts provides accessible insights into complex issues and emerging debates

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Financial market law is a highly complex, nuanced field where technical precision, contextual understanding, and analytical rigour are paramount. The purpose of this course is to develop your capacity to independently comprehend, interpret, and apply sophisticated legal principles—competencies that are essential for professional practice and cannot be delegated to artificial intelligence tools.

Future financial advisers, compliance officers, investment bankers, and other market professionals must possess genuine understanding of the law to protect clients, ensure regulatory compliance, and navigate ambiguous or unprecedented situations. Superficial engagement with course material—whether through over-reliance on AI or other shortcuts—undermines your professional development and ultimately compromises your ability to serve clients competently and ethically.

AI Tools and Academic Honesty:

While AI technologies can serve as useful supplementary resources for certain tasks (such as preliminary research, brainstorming, or editing), they cannot substitute for authentic learning and critical engagement with complex legal materials. All use of AI tools in any assessed work must be:

1. Disclosed transparently in a brief statement accompanying your submission, specifying which tools were used and for what purpose
2. Limited to appropriate supporting functions rather than generating substantive analysis, arguments, or interpretations
3. Accompanied by your own independent verification of any information, as AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, outdated information, or misapplications of legal principles

Undisclosed use of AI tools in assessments constitutes academic dishonesty and will be treated as plagiarism or cheating under the university's academic integrity policy.

This includes:

• Submitting AI-generated text, analysis, or arguments as your own work
• Using AI to complete case analyses, legal memoranda, or problem sets without disclosure
• Relying on AI-generated interpretations of cases, statutes, or regulatory materials without independent verification and proper attribution

Violations will result in serious academic consequences, including potential failure of the assessment or course, and notation on your academic record.

Our Rationale:

This policy reflects both pedagogical necessity and professional reality. In practice, financial market and compliance professionals must:

• Interpret complex, ambiguous legal texts independently
• Distinguish between superficially similar but legally distinct situations
• Advise clients on novel issues where precedent may be limited or unclear
• Accept professional responsibility for legal advice and regulatory compliance

These competencies develop only through sustained, authentic engagement with challenging material. Your future clients and employers depend on your genuine expertise—not your ability to prompt AI tools. This course is designed to build that expertise, and the integrity requirements ensure your assessments reflect your actual capabilities.

We encourage you to engage honestly with course challenges, seek clarification when concepts are unclear, collaborate appropriately with peers in designated group work, and utilise office hours and academic support resources. The intellectual struggle of mastering complex material is not a barrier to learning—it is the learning itself.

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.