The Journal of Banking and Finance Law and Practice (JBFLP) was first published in April 1990, and this year has reached its 25th volume.

The first ever issue opened with a foreword by the Hon Mr Anthony Murray Gleeson AC QC, who was then Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court. He commented:

It is of the essence of commercial law that it should be certain and clear, so that the rights of parties to business transactions are readily ascertainable without resort to litigation. Nevertheless … law and practice in this area grow and change, and there is a need for persons interested in the field to be kept up-to-date with developments, as well as an occasional need for reminders concerning established principles and their relevance to new circumstances.

JBFLPOver the years, contributors to the Journal have included both judges and practitioners, alongside academics. Some of our feature authors include the Hon Andrew Rogers, Dr Michael G Hains, Alan Tyree, Dr Vicky Priskich and Donald B Robertson.

While early issues of the Journal considered questions such as “how safe are travellers’ cheques?”, today you are more likely to see coverage of the legal status of Bitcoin and online currencies. Another fascinating new area in finance is crowdfunding. This was covered in the Journal recently by Matthew Vitale in his article “Crowdfunding: Recent International Developments and its Compatibility with Australia’s Existing Regulatory Framework”.

The Journal continues to record and analyse legal developments both in Australia and in international jurisdictions, keeping readers informed and up-to-date.

As the Journal marks its 25th Volume, it continues to be led by General Editor Gregory Burton SC and Consulting Editor Robert Baxt AO, with an extensive domestic and international Editorial Board.