The Cartel Project team from the University of Melbourne has released its initial report on a survey of the Australian public relating to the government’s recent decision to criminalise cartel conduct. Associate Professor Caron Beaton-Wells presented the survey at the 2010 ICN Cartel Workshop and during the ongoing Cartel Working Group’s call series on cartel awareness.

The report is published here.

The survey provides the first robust empirical evidence of the views of the Australian public on issues such as whether cartel behaviour should be a criminal offence, whether individuals should be jailed for it and how it should be viewed in terms of its seriousness. It also provides valuable insights into the extent to which business people know about the law governing cartel conduct and how business people are likely to respond to the prospect of criminal sanctions.

For more information about the Cartel Project at the Melbourne Law School, you can view its website here.