A comparative analysis of Anglo-Australian pre-packs : can the means be made to justify the ends?

Pre-packaged administrations have been prevalent in the UK for years. However, Australia's voluntary administration regime has been more restrictive of the practice. This article analyses the evolution of UK pre-packs, why they are not prevalent in Australia and the challenges for UK and Australian lawmakers in striking the right balance with pre-packs in their respective administration regimes. The article proposes a mechanism that might make ‘connected-party’ pre-pack business sales work more fairly for stakeholders — that is, by obligating a connected-party purchaser to make a future-income contribution in favour of the insolvent company whose business has been ‘rescued’ by a pre-packaged sale in administration.