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The final chapter of the book reviews conclusions to be drawn from the New Institutional Economics-driven analysis of the role of laws and the legal system in the process of development presented in the preceding chapters. It uses the criteria outlined in Chapter 1 to evaluate the model. It is concluded that the NIE-based model avoids the problems of modernization theory and is free from ethnocentrism. The NIE-based model also is suitable for evaluating the role of law and the legal system in the process of economic development. Finally, it has permitted an examination of law in action and not just the law on the books. The chapter concludes with a summary of the lessons for policymaking which the book provides.

Chapter 6 develops and estimates an econometric model of the determinants of growth to illustrate the insights gained from using the NIE-based framework developed in Chapter 4. It demonstrates the influence of the legal environment on the size of the financial sector and the influence of culture on the legal environment including the effectiveness of the legal system. The benefits of information enhancing institutions in promoting financial sector development (FSD) are also demonstrated. The model is used to test the competing claims of legal origin and culture in explaining the content and effectiveness of a jurisdiction’s laws. The tests suggest a limited impact of legal origin beyond that of culture in these respects. They also provide support for the transplant effect. These results suggest that legal reform to support a market-based approach to development must take account of the cultural context in which it is taking place.

Chapter 5 outlines the role which the financial sector plays in market-based economic development and the role played by the legal system in financial sector development (FSD). After discussing the fundamental functions of any financial system and the different types of markets and institutions which constitute a financial system, the chapter turns to a discussion of how FSD might be measured. The evidence on the relationship between FSD and economic growth is assessed. Building on this empirical evidence, the factors which promote FSD are examined. The chapter draws not only on the finance literature but the institutional literature discussed in Chapters 2, 3 and 4. These tools are then utilized to examine the problems faced and potential opportunities open to FSD in developing countries. In this regard, particular attention is paid to the relative merits of credit markets and capital markets in promoting FSD in developing countries.

Chapter 3 considers legal reform in developing countries through an examination of Legal Origin Theory which argues that economies based on the Common Law have higher growth levels than those based on Civil Law. This theory is outlined and evaluated. A powerful critique of Legal Origin Theory (as a foundation of policy) is provided by the transplant effect. This considers the factors which influence the effectiveness of transplanting laws or parts of legal systems from one jurisdiction to another. Whether a transplant is successful or not is related to the motives behind the transplant. Is the recipient jurisdiction receptive to the transplant? Is there a demand for the transplant? When neither of these is the case, transplants will increase transaction costs and lower legal effectiveness. This chapter examines the evidence to support this approach and discusses its implications for legal reform as a route to development.