Researcher

Miss Mary Ip

My Expertise

Chinese Commercial law; Chinese consumer protection, Older women housing consumption

Keywords

housing affordability

Fields of Research (FoR)

Consumer-Oriented Product or Service Development, Law and Society, Social Policy, Housing Markets, Development, Management

SEO tags

Consumer affairs

Housing

Biography

Focus of Mary’s research has been on consumer legal protection in China since 1993 when the first national consumer legislation was passed. Chinese legal study demands examination of the prevailing political, social and economic situations in the country. Therefore, Mary adopts multi-lenses research approach. Given China’s legal reform has adapted Western ideas into a Chinese framework, Mary also study Chinese laws on a comparative...view more

Focus of Mary’s research has been on consumer legal protection in China since 1993 when the first national consumer legislation was passed. Chinese legal study demands examination of the prevailing political, social and economic situations in the country. Therefore, Mary adopts multi-lenses research approach. Given China’s legal reform has adapted Western ideas into a Chinese framework, Mary also study Chinese laws on a comparative basis. The number of Australian scholars doing Chinese law research is small, and the number of those using a comparative and multi-lenses study methodology is even smaller. Thus, Mary’s research is unique and has attained varied recognitions.

Mary’s research standing is highlighted as follows:

Visiting scholar to Beijing and Nanjing Universities under co-sponsorship from the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and China
Invited talk to 300 officials at the Shanghai Administrative Bureau of Trade and Commerce about comparative Australian and Chinese Competition and Consumer laws
Inaugural member of China Focus Group of the Law Council of Australia
Board member of the China Working Group of the International Legal Service Advisory Council of Attorney Generals Department, Australia
Citation by the Honourable James Spigelman, Former Chief Justice of New South Wales Supreme Court, in his keynote speech delivered at the International Insolvency Annual Conference in Shanghai
Fully funded presentations at the Singapore Management University, Macau University, and Sweden Labour Movement Archive and Library
Expert seminar organised by Law Council of Australia and hosted by King & Wood Malleson
Associate editor of The Chinese Economy (an American journal)
Panel member for Distinguished Article Award of the Asian Law and Society Association
Adjunct Fellowship with the Centre for Comparative Law and Development Studies in Asia and the Pacific, University of Wollongong

ASB Profile:
http://www.asb.unsw.edu.au/schools/Pages/MaryIp.aspx

My Grants

Notion of Unconscionability – a comparative analysis from the perspectives of common law and civil law systems. UNSW Law School Centre for Law, Markets and Regulation Summer Research Grant 2019 (Chief investigator)

Security in old age for single older women without children. CP Australia – Global Research Perspective Program 2018 (Project instigator and co-researcher)

International Guidelines in E-Commerce- An Enhancement for Developing Chinese Consumer Legal Regime in Digital Market. UNSW Business School Special Research Grant 2017 (Chief investigator)

Economic efficiency and the law reform process in China, Indonesia and Thailand. Commissioned by the Ministry of Justice, France 2005 (Chief coordinator and co-researcher)

Implication of the WTO membership on the consumers – A Case study of China. The University of Sydney, Faculty of Business Grant 2003 (Chief investigator)

A review of Chinese consumer law after accession to the World Trade Organisation. The University of New South Wales, Faculty of Economics and Business Grant 2002 (Chief investigator)

My Qualifications

Master of Laws (USyd); Bachelor of Arts in Law (Hons) (N. London)

My Research Activities

Mary is passionate in examining efficiency of legal protection for consumers. Her passion is prompted by the on-going infringement of consumers’ rights notwithstanding most countries already have enacted consumer law. Since Mary adopts comparative and cross-disciplinary research methodology for her studies, her research findings appeal to legal scholars as well as researchers in business discipline. Mary’s research has also appealed to local and overseas students who sought supervision for their higher degree study.

Mary’s recent research interest in old age, gender and housing is built on her enduring study about consumers vulnerability and disadvantages in consumption.

My Engagement

Journal editor

2018 – present, Associate editor, The Chinese Economy, Routledge (USA).

Assistant guest editor

2018 – E-journal for the 13^th Atax International Tax Administration Conference, Sydney.

Invited reviewer for book proposal

2020 – invitation from Bentham Science Publishers

Invited referee for journal article

2018 – The Chinese Journal of Comparative Law (Oxford University Press)

Conference session chair

2019 - Asian Law and Society Association Conference, Japan

Invited participation

2018 - National Consumer Congress, hosted by Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Share research findings

Periodical requests from overseas scholars for my publications, especially the article entitled The Revised Contract Law and Its Implications on Consumerism in China

Membership

2019 – present, Member of the Expert Consultancy Panel, UNSW-Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
2018 – present, Associate of the Australia Institute of Human Rights
2014 – present, Member of the Asian Law and Society Association
2009 – 2010, 2020 – present, Member of the University of Sydney China Studies Centre
2012 – 2016, Member of the UNSW China Research Network
2010 – 2015, Member of the China Law Network
2008 – 2019, Member of the Comparative Law Committee at the International Law Section, Law Council of Australia
2008 – 2013, Inaugural member of the China Focus Group, Law Council of Australia
2007 – 2014, Member of the China Working Group on Legal Services at the International Legal Services Advisory Council, Federal Attorney General’s Department, Australia

My Teaching

Mary has incorporated her research activities to teaching. She develops a unique course namely ‘Asian Business Law’ with comparative approach. Given UNSW has considerable number of international students who come from Asian countries, those students have found the special teaching method pertinent and interesting. It is because the course assessment regime provides students an opportunity to evaluate and analyze their own country legal approaches in a chosen area of law with another country. Through such comparative exercise, students could identify the strengths and weaknesses of both countries’ laws and suggest changes.

Mary also specializes teaching first year law subjects to business students. Mary brings her cross-disciplinary research methodology into classroom so that students can appreciate the relevancy and importance to understand legal implication in doing business.

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