Expanded powers in a market inquiry: is this power consistent with constitutional and natural justice guarantees?—‘The Case of the COMESA Competition Commission’

Abstract In the past few years, more and more competition authorities have expanded their powers in conducting market inquiries. Some competition laws have given the competition authorities the power to impose remedies after a market inquiry and to impose fines on undertakings that resist providing information during a market inquiry. Some competition authorities are in the process of amending their laws to mirror this development. The COMESA Competition Commission is an exemplary incident of a competition authority that is amending its law to cloth it with expansive powers in the conduct of market inquiries. This article explores whether or not such expanded powers in a market inquiry are overly intrusive and whether they are consistent with the constitutional and natural justice guarantees. An interrogation on whether there are safeguards to ensure that these powers are not unfettered and do not result in abuse of the rights of those that are subject to this power will also be conducted.