1. Introduction to banking law and regulation

This introductory chapter provides an overview of banking law and regulation. Banking law and regulation covers private commercial law developed through banking custom, standards of good practice, and the common law, which together have a long history of shaping and refining the rights and obligations of banks and their customers. Consumer protection lies at the heart of many banking law and regulatory initiatives, which often seek to address or rebalance the superior bargaining position of banks in the bank–customer relationship. In recent decades, public regulatory sources of law in banking regulation have become multi-layered and complex, ranging from international to European and national regulation. The chapter also describes the nature of the banking business as well as its types and scope.