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Global consumption of fossil fuels has wreaked havoc on the environment through anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Meeting the ever-increasing demand for energy and limiting its impact on the environment are the two intertwined issues that confront the world. Against this backdrop, national and international stakeholders have been called to transition to renewable energy (RE) to provide energy security and stem climate change. As such, governments around the world have been formulating legal and policy frameworks to encourage the deployment of RE along with technological innovations. However, poor legal frameworks and policies, insufficient financial support, and incentives have rendered the adoption of RE technologies, especially in developing countries, woefully inadequate and Ghana is no exception. In Ghana, various legal and policy frameworks have been deployed for the development of hydro and non-hydro RE. However, the contribution of non-hydro RE (solar and wind) to the country's electricity generation mix is paltry due to various challenges. The research uses desktop analysis, empirical research, and comparative analysis to critically examine the existing Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832) and policies on RE in Ghana to ascertain the extent to which they effectively address energy security challenges. The results reveal many challenges as follows: a general poor implementation of the provisions of the Act, poor funding, obsolete grid network, transmission and distribution losses, and bureaucratic processes in licence acquisition to be responsible for the paltry diffusion of non-hydro RE in Ghana whose share was 0.3% in 2020. The research recommends that the government of Ghana (GoG) reviews the existing Renewable Energy Act, policies, and regulatory frameworks currently in operation to address deployment constraints. The thesis concludes by calling on the GoG to focus on specific legal and policy frameworks that would promote solar photovoltaic deployment as the country is endowed with abundant solar energy.

Innovation is one of the key determinants of competitive capacity, as either making or suppressing innovation can be effective tools for competing. In addition, innovations have improving characteristics for the advancement of consumer welfare and the economy. Therefore, companies want their contributions to existing technologies to be considered when they are accused of abusing their dominant positions because, in practice, competition conditions are evolving from price-centric to innovation-centric, particularly in technology markets, where almost all companies allocate considerable budgets to research and development (R&D) activities. Hence, the competition starts before the product is even released onto the market in the current economic climate, which requires these companies to innovate constantly. It is therefore likely that noninnovative companies will eventually leave the market, as the existence of companies is directly proportional related to their innovativeness. However, instead of being innovative, businesses can maintain their market share, and even increase it, by suppressing innovation. This can be done in many different ways, but this study examines specific types of innovation suppression practices, namely the non-use of patents, pay-for-delay agreements, standard-setting, spare parts design protection, evergreening patents and exclusionary product design (planned obsolescence), as these issues have not received adequate attention in terms of EU competition law despite their particular importance to the functioning of competitive markets. This thesis, accordingly, debates whether the suppression of innovation is anti-competitive as a form of abusing the dominant position and therefore contrary to Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), since it leads to less choice for consumers and more market barriers for rivals. In particular, the thesis examines the grey area of the relationship between law and innovation over selected issues by testing Article 102 TFEU, the scope of application of which has been broadened by the AstraZeneca case, which tilted practice towards an entirely fresh approach. Pursuant to this case, whenever a practice causes anti-competitive effects on the market, Article 102 TFEU would be applicable, which provides an open interpretation. This study consequently demonstrates the negative impacts of innovation suppression practices on the market, as well as their anti-competitive features, in order to show the applicability of this specific rule.

The telecommunications sector is growing at an exponential rate as technology continues to advance and consumer demands continue to change. However, an evolving market brings with it a growing national economic need for a sustainable telecommunications sector. For many years, Saudi Arabia's telecommunications sector was monopolised by the majority state-owned Saudi Telecom Company. However, in an effort to bring competition to the sector and encourage privatisation, Saudi Arabia first enacted sectorspecific rules within the Telecommunications Act in 2001, followed by the broad Competition Law in 2004 as part of its journey to acceptance by the World Trade Organization. However, many of the anti-competitive practices that the laws sought to eliminate persist under the current framework. This study examines the state of competition in the telecommunications sector under Sharia, under the Telecommunications Act, and after the implementation of the Competition Law. The goal is to understand what effects, if any, each step of the legislative process has had on competition. Having evaluated the current state of the sector, this study then examines the competition models of telecommunications sectors in other jurisdictions to identify what lessons can be learned by Saudi Arabia and integrated into its competition model. Ultimately, this study argues that a harmonised framework in which both the Telecommunications Act and Competition Law work in concert will be the most effective means of increasing efficiency and creating a stable economic environment. This study also looks at how such a framework could be implemented within the Saudi system.

In recent years there has been a focus on minority shareholder protection around the world. Turkey, accordingly, adopted new legislation in 2012, namely Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 (TCC), to address newly-emerging needs but this study reveals that there is still a necessity for further improvement in regards to protecting minority shareholders' rights. This study is an examination of the extent to which Turkish law provides rights to minority shareholders so that they avoid disputes, and the extent to which Turkish law provides adequate remedies for minority shareholders to go to court when they have been mistreated and oppressed. The aim of this study is to compare the situation of the two jurisdictions taking into account the effect of similar remedies for minority shareholders in Turkey and the UK, namely unfair prejudice petition and derivative action in the UK and dissolution of a company for just causes and liability claim in Turkey. The study features some recommendations for concrete amendments to the Turkish Commercial Code (No. 6102) in order to provide better protection for minority shareholders.

Leniency Programmes have been introduced as a complementary measure in the enforcement of competition law in detecting cartels, on the basis that hard to find evidence will be provided by undertakings coming forward to confess, in exchange for immunity or reduction in fines. The advantages of leniency are deemed to be twofold, since evidence is thereby expected to be given voluntarily, and in turn it would save up the limited resources available to enforcement authorities, by reducing lengthy investigations in search of evidence. Therefore, the widely accepted view by regulators, economists, and lawyers alike is that leniency is by far the most effective method of detecting and deterring anticompetitive activities by undertakings. An 'undertaking' covers any entity engaged in an economic activity that offers goods or services in a given market. In the UK, Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 governs prohibitions that fall within the category of cartels of which price-fixing, market or customer sharing, agreements to restrict production or supply, and bid-rigging are the most serious 'hard-core cartels'. This study evaluates the efficacy of the Leniency Programme in the enforcement of competition law applied in respect of cartel infringements based on cases decided by the UK's principal enforcement authority. Chapter I cases decided and published over a twelve-year period, since the Competition Act 1998 came into force, have been analysed in order to evaluate whether the leniency programme has been an incentive for colluders to apply for leniency. The results indicate that very few leniency applications were submitted voluntarily before an investigation was begun by the enforcement authority. Moreover, the detection rate of Chapter I cases on average has been very low over the twelve-year period, less than 2 cases per year, excluding settlements. The research also shows that contrary to the accepted view that evidence relating to cartels is difficult to find, cartels studied in this thesis have left a trail of both electronic, and other evidence that the authorities were able to seize. Further, the leniency applicants were not always reliable witnesses, and despite leniency, the enforcement authorities had to conduct lengthy investigations, negating the cost saving assertion and taking resources away from ex officio interventions by the authorities. The conclusion drawn from this study is that rather than enhancing detection and deterrence of anticompetitive behaviour by undertakings, the leniency programme overlaps, and in effect, undermines the public enforcement of competition law in the UK.

The analysis of this thesis is to examine whether foreign investors can fully rely on the standard of FPS in BITs for the protection of their investments in the territories of host States which has been mandated to States by international law. This question cannot be answered without giving insights into the content and structure of the origin of FPS standard and adopts a dynamic based-perspective of the interpretation of FPS under VCLT 1969, encompassing the relationship between FPS and CIL. It investigates the tribunals' interpretation of the clause using case laws and literatures to identify and explore the underlying explanatory process behind tribunals' case findings and outcomes. The study examines the critical realism that the obligation of FPS standard does not place absolute liability to a host State, rather the exercise of a reasonable degree of vigilance. It evaluates the controversy surrounding the relationships between FPS and FET, and illuminates on how the two standards may co-evolve which has led to various arbitral tribunals' divergence opinions interpretation of the two principles. The evaluation of the application of FPS to digital assets is dynamic in this research as it addresses the nature of threats investors face globally today over cyber attacks of digital investments. The thesis also emphasis on balancing up investors' rights and obligation, which explains the measures that States can apply to prevent foreign investors from engaging in illegitimate activities. Having look at all these issues, circumstances, and the controversies surrounding FPS standard, the result found is that there is a existence of a gap in this area of the law, that would mean that foreign investors cannot completely rely on the principle of FPS for the protection of their investments in the territories of the host unless this lacunae is properly filled by both the States and arbitral tribunals, especially the tribunals' interpretative meaning of the standard of FPS.

The modern role of the law of contract imposes a duty on the state to regulate the way individuals treat each other in the marketplace as part of fulfilling its social role. This thesis investigates the situation of contractual justice under Shariah and English law. It tests the extent to which contractual justice is protected under Shariah and English laws of contract. It indicates that the English law of contract is focused on the absolute sanctity of contract (in its classical form) and economic efficiency (in its modern form). On the other hand, the Shariah law of contract is governed by the general principle that gain comes only from labour and stresses the importance of the equivalence of counter-values. It reveals that while contractual justice under the English law of contract is procedurally oriented, it is substantively oriented under the Shariah law of contract. Additionally, the thesis also discusses the role of the law of consumer protection in pursuing contractual justice. While the consumer is protected under the English law by legislative control, the Shariah law of contract, which was the product of the seventh and eighth centuries, does not recognise the concept of the consumer. One would accordingly question the legitimacy of the action of protecting consumers in those states (take for example Saudi Arabia) that adopt Shariah as the law of the state. Most of the states, which adopt Shariah either alongside other normative systems or as the entire code, grant some kind of consumer protection measures within the law of contract. The thesis attempts to fill this gap by testing the viability of consumer protection derived from the Shariah law of contract. In doing so, attention is paid to the theoretical and practical aspects of the law. It is revealed that the Shariah law of contract is fit both from a theoretical and a practical perspective to serve the aims of consumer protection. The outcomes of the research should guide and enhance the legitimacy of consumer protection measures in Shariah-ruled countries.

The protection of consumers of financial services has attracted a lot of debates following the global financial crisis of 2007 to 2009. As a result, there have been series of reforms in a number of jurisdictions across the globe. Despite this development some countries still lag behind and Nigeria is no exception. This study examines the problems of consumer protection in Nigeria, with specific reference to the bank consumers. The aim is to consider whether the Nigeria consumer protection regime provides "sufficient protection to bank consumers and whether it should be reformed". The study also focuses on the role of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in consumer protection, its dispute resolution mechanism and the practical challenges. The test of sufficiency will be analysed and discussed, using 'consistency', 'efficiency' and 'accessibility' in order to illustrate the existing weaknesses in resolving consumer dispute. The approach in this study is doctrinal analysis. In all, the findings suggest that there is need, to reform the consumer protection regime in the banking sector and enforce laws which will address issues highlighted in the study to enable the users of banking services in Nigeria to obtain an appropriate level of protection through regulatory processes. This study, therefore, also provides a comparative analysis between United Kingdom and Nigeria, using current consumer protection framework in the United Kingdom in making proposals for the needed reforms in Nigeria. The study thus concludes with the recommendation that the current Nigerian consumer protection regime does not offer adequate protection; hence protecting consumers require a holistic approach which includes effective consumer protection framework, enforcement, coordination and cooperation from different stakeholders.

A competition agency represents an independent regulatory institution, which takes the form of an administrative body. A competition authority enables the development of markets and displays to market operators and new players a dedication to the principles of free markets and fair competition. In other words, a competition authority should intervene in a timely manner to correct any anti-competitive behaviour and implement the necessary remedies; it should be equipped with an adequate knowledge of the market in order to make its decisions. Moreover, its involvement should be predictable, that is, it should have a positive influence on markets. Furthermore, a competition agency should continuously evaluate its role as public institution and law enforcer by following the economic and legal evolution of the jurisdiction in which it operates. Until recently, the debate has predominantly revolved around the substance of competition law. However, in recent years, the evaluation of the performance of competition agencies has been embraced by numerous countries, including developing ones. This is because most emerging countries around the world have progressively been opening their domestic markets to competition, which led to giving more power to competition agencies to monitor markets. As this perspective has not been explored in the context of Maghreb countries, which also represent developing economies, this research endeavours to do so. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyse the extent to which the performance of competition agencies in Maghreb countries influences the enforcement of competition law.

State Aid policy has been an integral part of competition policy and the European Commission is responsible for controlling aid, which distorts competition in the internal market to be granted by Member States. State Aid is usually defined as advantages given by the State to undertakings in the form of financial contributions, support, or other forms of special treatment. This thesis will examine state aid policy and regulation in the European Union. The research aims at critically analysing the implementation of the rules that compose the European state aid framework and conclude on whether the system for the control of state aid is set in an effective way to achieve the objectives of protecting competition and therefore the internal market by limiting aid levels and streaming aid towards more beneficial aid. This research is important because it can reveal the particular benefits and problems caused by state aid and help by making recommendations for the future application of the rules.

Across six Chapters, this thesis examines the legal effects of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on the employees, Board of Directors and shareholders of companies with the objective of gaining in-depth understanding of this area. The thesis then develops legal and practical solutions for the problems and negative effects associated with M&As, specifically regarding employees, Boards of Directors and shareholder companies involved in such operations. This research determines to answer the following question: How do mergers and acquisitions (M&As) affect employees, management and shareholders rights and obligations? And what the legal basis for transferring their rights and liabilities between companies involved in M&As? Despite the importance of M&As as a means of economic concentration and emergence in terms of major commercial or industrial projects, the laws of both the UAE and Qatar do not sufficiently address the issue of mergers or their goals and conditions. They also fail to regulate acquisitions or to otherwise specify when acquisitions become necessary for companies. Furthermore, the laws do not specify the rights of workers regarding their knowledge of or participation in M&As or developed adequate solutions for the negative impacts on companies workers in such processes. These laws do not provide the right for the Board of Directors of the transferor company to merge with the Board of Directors of the transferee company. Additionally, they also unsuccessfully address the minority shareholders right (those not interested in the merger) to exit the merged company and recover the value of their shares. Moreover, the UAE and Qatar have not developed appropriate solutions for the exchange of shares between companies involved in mergers in the case of dissimilarity between the actual values of the shares of both companies. This has notably led to jurisprudence and judiciary confusion between the concept of M&As, their legal nature and the legal basis or theory for the transfer of the rights and liabilities of employees, management and shareholders between companies involved in M&A operations. In accordance with legal texts, the above discussion, M&A legal theory and the theory of the agency contract between a company and its Board of Directors, the thesis argues that M&As should not lead to cutting labour contracts or negatively affect employee rights as long as corporate ventures remain in place and M&A operations do not lead to the liquidation of merged or acquired companies. Also, the thesis shows that a company is linked with its Board of Directors through a special form of agency contract, which justifies the transfer of the rights of the Board of Directors of the merged company with regards to the merging or new company management. The thesis also develops solutions and processes for the exchange of shares between merged companies when there are differences between the actual values of their shares, through the shareholders of the merged company buying shares from the merging company or by selling their shares to the merging company and recovering the value of their shares in cash. The study also recommends taking a set of procedural measures during M&As, modifying some of the relevant legal texts of the UAE and Qatar, which would mitigate the negative effects of mergers and acquisitions. Furthermore, this research suggests ways to improve such laws to reach the level of those of developed countries, in order to encourage mergers and acquisitions in the region.