The low down
Debates concerning the role and procedures of the Competition Appeal Tribunal mirror the UK’s dilemma post-Brexit. Are its excellence, diligence and the quality of its judgments part of Britain’s ‘soft power’ in the world, giving business the confidence in this jurisdiction? Or is the tribunal a brake on the laissez-faire economics that the pro-Leave camp expect to energise ‘Britain in the World’? Certainly, competition law specialists like and respect the CAT, and believe the broad alignment of its principles with EU law smooth the transition to a post-Brexit economy. But influential Conservative voices are among its critics, and with its caseload expected to increase by 40-50%, stretched resources could affect its performance.