Framing the Law and Policy of Finance

The global financial crisis of 2007–08 provided an obvious reason for rethinking finance, its regulation, and benefits for society. Economics experts, in particular, issued policy reports on how to fix the financial system. Whether and how such policy recommendations translated into law is the topic of this article. It introduces a set of theories elaborating on how the legal system may tap social theory in general and economic expertise in particular, arguing for the concept of framing as a focal point. A case study on the Kay Review of UK equity markets tests and illustrates the theory. The study highlights the normative, technical, political, and capture issues that arise all the way down from a specific policy proposal rooted in economic theory and empirical research to the technical details of financial law and concludes with a comment on the current reform efforts of the Financial Conduct Authority on a new consumer duty. Eventually, the case study allows us to reflect on the strengths and limitations of the existing theories of how social theory and law interact and to provide some directions for future research.