LAW SCHOOL

POST GRADUATE PROGRAM (LLM)

CORSE SYLLABUS FOR LAW ON CONSUMER PROTECTION
AND COMPETITION
I. COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: Law on Consumer Protection and Competition
Course Code: Laws 6207
Credit Hours: 2 Hrs/Week
Year: II
Academic Year: 2024
Semester: I
II. PROFESSOR’S INFORMATION
Name: Dejen Al. (LL.B, LL.M, Asst. Professor in Business Law)
E-mail: dejenemoges27@gmail.com

Course Description
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Consumer considerations and their protection are very new concept concepts in Ethiopia, but in
the last decade there has been a significant development in this branch of law. Globalization of
trade, market-dominated economy, information revolution and emergence of e-commerce has
further enhanced this process. A greater importance has been assigned to consumer law at global
basis. All these factors have increased more scope for research and advocacy for creating a
consumer friendly regulatory framework... In this background this course will aim to introduce
the students to the existing law and practice relating to consumer protection and competition.

Generally speaking competition is rivalry between firms for the patronage of customers with a
view to achieving a particular business end such as profits or market share. Any system needs to
determine key questions: What to produce? How much to produce? How resources are to be
apportioned? How products are to be produced? Competition law is a part of competition policy
designed to regulate anti-competitive business practices. Maintaining and enhancing market
competition by addressing restrictive business practices and bringing efficiency and consumer
welfare are at the heart of the objective of competition law.

At these days at this world, there are various options with regard to political economy.
Command economy is characterized by central planning of inputs and outputs. Market economy
is the other option in which consumers and producers act in response to price signals.
Competition makes sense mostly in the second situation (market based economy). At the center
of this course are those aformentioned issues and points detailed in about four chptars..

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Learning Outcomes
This course has a general objective of engaging the trainees in contemporary international
debates/ issues/ with regard to competition policy and law. Thus after completing this module the
trainees would be able to:
 Explain the theoretical and policy framework of Ethiopian economic and business policy
and laws.
 Explain how competition law is designed to bringing productive and a locative
efficiency.
 Assess the impact of the globalization on firms at the national level, with a particular
focus upon its potential impact on Ethiopia
 Understand and apply Ethiopian consumer protection and competition policy and law.
 Evaluate a wide range of technical legal issues of competition and consumer protection
law.
 Analyse the relationship between national regulation and international trade rules
 Analyse and evaluate interaction between economic actors in the market and consumers
on the other hand.
Mainstreamed throughout the course will be a focus upon how different theories, rules,
procedures and institutional structures are relevant to a country like Ethiopia.
Course content
Chapter 1
I Theoretical background
a. Competition in different political economic thoughts.
b. Perfect competition
c. Alternative approaches to competition
d. Competition or cooperation?
e. Goals of competition policy
f. Market failures and government intervention

I. Anti- competitive practices

a. abuse of a dominant position;
b. restrictive or collusive agreements;
c. Mergers and acquisitions.
d. Unfair competition
e. Exceptions
II. Competition and consumer protection
a. an introduction to consumer protection
Law and policies
b. Institutional frameworks
c. consumer rights
d. Mandate of institutions

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 e.
Consumer associations
f.
Business ethics
g.
Consumer protection and moral hazards
h.
Market for information
IV Competition and globalization
a. Competition and WTO
b. emerging concerns in consumer protection and law

Teaching method and policy

 The predominant teaching methodology that shall be employed in this course of study
shall be student’s independent activity. As it is a post graduate program, students are
expected to take responsibility for their learning by independent reading, group
assignment, group discussion, and active classroom participation according to the
guidance provided by the course outline and introductory lectures of the instructor.
 To make it practical, students are expected to come to the class with an advance reading
of materials and laws and reading assignments prior to class sessions.
 Active participation of students shall be compulsory during class discussion and on
assigned readings.

Teaching methods

 lectures
 seminars
 practice sessions and learning through case studies
 Work-based learning.
Module assessment and evaluation
Candidates shall be assessed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Reflective questions – 20%
2. A scholarly written short paper +defence of same - 40%
3. Final exam – 40%
Resource for the delivery of the course

 Armstrong, M. and Vickers, J. (1993). _Price discrimination, competition and

regulation_, Journal ofIndustrial Economics, vol. 41(4), pp. 335–59.
 Baumol, W., Ordover, J., Warren-Boulton, F. and Willig, R. (2003). Brief of amici curiae
economicsprofessors to U.S. Supreme Court in Verizon v Trinko.
 Brodley, J., Bolton, P. and Riordan, M. (2000). _Predatory pricing: strategic theory and
legal policy_,Georgetown Law Journal, vol. 88(8), pp. 2239–330.

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 Coase, R. (1972). _Industrial organization: a proposal for research_, in (V. Fuchs, ed.),
Policy Issues andResearch Opportunities in Industrial Organization, pp. 59–73, New
York: National Bureau of EconomicResearch.
 Edlin, A. and Farrell, J. (2003). _The American Airlines case: a chance to clarify
predation policy_, in(J. Kwoka and L. White, eds.), The Antitrust Revolution, pp. 502–
27, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Elhauge, E. (2003a). _Why above-cost price cuts to drive out entrants are not predatory_,
Yale Law Journal,vol. 112(4), pp. 681–828.Lester et al,
 Bain, J. (1956), Barriers to New Competition, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
 Baumol, W. (1982), “Contestable markets: an uprising in the theory of industrial
structure”,American Economic Review, Vol. 72 No. 1, pp. 1-15.
 Bork, R. (1978), The Antitrust Paradox: A Policy at War with Itself, Basic Books, New
York, NY.
 Caves, R., Khalilzadeh-Shirazi, J. and Porter, M. (1975), “Scale economies in statistical
analysis ofmarket power”, Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 57 No. 2, pp. 133-
40.
 Cowling, K. and Mueller, D. (1978), “The social costs of monopoly”, Economic Journal,
Vol. 88,December, pp. 727-48.
 Cowling, K. and Waterson, M. (1976), “Price-cost margins and market structure”,
Economica,Vol. 43 No. 171, pp. 267-74.
 Demsetz, H. (1973), “Industry structure, market rivalry and public policy”, Journal of
Law andEconomics, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 1-9.
 Ferguson, P. and Ferguson, G. (1994), Industrial Economics, Macmillan, London.
 Harberger, A. (1954), “Monopoly and resource allocation”, American Economic Review
Paper andProceedings, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 77-87.

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