E-commerce legal framework for ASEAN: A Model code

Abstract

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional body, grappling with the issue of raising its awareness in the e-commerce sphere. It has proposed many regional and nation initiatives, including regional integration of laws to capture the ever growing e-market. However, such progress is impeded, due to many socio- legal issues like digital divide, lack of good e-commerce legal framework for encouraging and regulating e-commerce. Hence, the work aims at harmonizing the diverse and deficient/non existent e-laws as a strategy to overcome legal issues of the digital world, by formulating and recommending a Model Code for e-commerce transactions within ASEAN nations, based on international standards and practices. The dissertation limits itself to four core issues: e-commerce laws, banking laws, evidence laws, private international law and Jurisdiction. The rationale, discussion, comparative analysis between the Code and the national e-transaction laws, form the basis for further recommendations.