30 June 2005
Key Points:
Clayton Utz partner and leading e-commerce and retail banking lawyer Mark Sneddon has accepted an invitation to sit on the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC).
Mr Sneddon is one of only two lawyers on the Council, which was recently expanded from eight to 12 members to reflect its increasingly broader role in investigating and reporting to the Australian Government on current and emerging consumer issues.
Announcing Mr Sneddon's appointment, Federal Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Chris Pearce said that in addition to trends in consumer affairs, CCAAC would now be responsible for advising on the impact of e-commerce developments on consumers.
Mr Sneddon is well-placed to contribute to CCAAC's reporting in this area, being recognised as a leading adviser on e-commerce and privacy issues as well as in the areas of retail banking and financial services.
Mr Sneddon's experience includes writing ground-breaking reports for the Federal Government on legal liability in electronic authentication systems and drafting ASIC's revised Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct. Mr Sneddon was previously a member of Federal Treasury's Electronic Commerce Expert Group.
CCAAC was set up in 1999 as the Australian Government's principal advisory body on consumer affairs matters. It is chaired by Australian Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman Mr Colin Neave.
CCAAC's role is set to further expand to include investigating and reporting on product safety laws, consumer remedies under the Trade Practices Act, the Commonwealth's role in unfair contract terms legislation, online dispute resolution and credit over-commitment.
