Effective bank regulation: seven guiding principles

Purpose - This paper is a “viewpoint” article, and as such, the purpose of this paper is to present the author’s opinion and interpretation. Its primary purpose is to propose seven guiding principles for effective bank regulation so that these may be subject to academic criticism. Design/methodology/approach - The principal theme of this paper has its origins in archival research into the nature of bank regulation in the UK in 25 to 30 years after the Second World War. This paper draws upon insights gained into the nature of bank regulation in the UK arising from that research. It focuses on what aspects of bank regulation were effective in that earlier period. It then attempts to convert those insights into underlying principles. Findings - Seven principles are proposed as the starting point for a discussion as to the principles that should underpin effective bank regulation. The seven principles are set out in the introduction to the paper. Originality/value - The framework for the regulation of banks in the UK and in many other countries is a complex one. The general trend in bank regulation in the UK in the past four decades has been technocratic, characterised by a preference for codified rules, which are often detailed and technically complex. It has also been characterised by the establishment, or further development, of intricate regulatory and supervisory structures at national, international and supranational levels. Scholarly attention has understandably been focused on those trends. Rather less attention has been given to the broader principles that might underpin and guide bank regulation. This paper seeks to contribute to that question.