Corporate Accountability: Topics in Legal and Accounting Regulation

Law and accounting are separate disciplines, although their close relationship has always been clear, both in practice and in theory. Indeed it is this closeness which has given rise to both opportunities for collaboration and territorial conflicts between two professions operating in similar areas. The origins of the two disciplines and their traditional roles go some way towards explaining their different approaches to the regulation of corporate activity.

These roles have been evolving, however, as a result of the increasing complexity of the transactions and organisations to be regulated, and due to international influences. Consequently, traditional disciplinary barriers have lost their meaning and an interdisciplinary focus is the norm in areas such as corporate governance, tax, insolvency, financial reporting.

Lawyers and accountants continue to have distinct functions within these arenas but increasingly transcend their own disciplines to understand the objectives and approaches of the other. Whilst these changes may increase mutual understanding between lawyers and accountants, they also highlight critical areas of debate and dispute between them.

The course examines the central issues faced in law and accounting in relation to corporate governance, corporate finance and regulation. Each session is taught by an interdisciplinary team.