Following the recent global financial crisis there is a growing interest in alternative finance - and microfinance in particular as new instruments for providing financial services in a socially responsible way or as an alternative to traditional banking. But correspondingly there is also a lack of clarity about how to regulate alternative financial methods particularly in light of the financial crisis lessons on regulatory failure.

This book considers microfinance from a legal perspective. Microfinance is the provision of a wide range of financial services, particularly...