Christopher Decker

Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) University of Melbourne; Bachelor of Commerce (Honours Year in Economics), University of Melbourne; D.Phil, University of Oxford

Christopher Decker's research interests include regulation, competition economics, law and economics, behavioural economics and institutional economics. He is also interested in the law and economics of development. His academic research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Leverhulme Trust and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Chris is actively interested in how regulation is designed and applied in practice. His current and most recent research has focussed on topics such as: the effect of competition policy on inequality; the design of regulatory frameworks for integrating unmanned aircraft (drones) into shared airspace; the economic impacts of climate change in the water sector; the regulation of digital markets; the regulation of payment systems (particularly issues associated with a shift towards a cashless society); the impact of regulatory changes on the legal services sector; and the future regulation of  digitized and distributed energy systems.

Chris has advised a range of international organizations (World Bank, OECD, APEC, European Commission, European Parliament); UK regulators and government departments (Cabinet Office, DEFRA, BEIS, National Infrastructure Commission, Ofgem, Ofcom, CAA, Ofwat, the Competition Commission, Office of Fair Trading, Competition and Markets Authority, Legal Services Board,  Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Payment Systems Regulator, Financial Conduct Authority) and government departments and regulators in Australia, Argentina, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, New Zealand, and South Africa. He has also provided expert evidence in a number of competition law and regulatory proceedings including before the European Court of Justice, General Court of the European Union, World Bank International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), UK Supreme Court, Irish High Court and the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal. 

Chris sits on a number of advisory panels including the UK Competition and Markets Authority academic panel; the UK Better Regulation Executive Network of Experts; the International Water Association’s Working Group on public policy and regulation; the Australian Energy Market Commission expert panel; and the Legal Services Board academic panel.  He was also previously a member of the panel of economic experts for the Irish Commission for Energy Regulation, and an advisor to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.