General
(1) ASIC may grant an applicant an Australian market licence if ASIC is satisfied that:
(a) the application was made in accordance with section 795A; and
(b) the applicant will comply with the obligations that will apply if the licence is granted; and
(c) the applicant has adequate operating rules, and procedures, (see Subdivision B of Division 3) to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that the market will operate as mentioned in paragraph 792A(1)(a); and
(d) the applicant has adequate arrangements (which may involve the appointment of an independent person or related entity) for operating the market, including arrangements for:
(i) handling conflicts between the commercial interests of the licensee and the need for the licensee to ensure that the market operates in the way mentioned in paragraph 792A(1)(a); and
(ii) monitoring and enforcing compliance with the market's operating rules; and
(e) the applicant has adequate clearing and settlement arrangements for transactions effected through the market, if ASIC considers that the applicant should have such arrangements; and
(f) neither subsection 881D(2) nor 882A(2) (relating to compensation arrangements) requires ASIC to reject the application; and
(g) no unacceptable control situation (see Division 1 of Part 7.4) is likely to result if the licence is granted; and
(h) no disqualified individual appears to be involved in the applicant (see Division 2 of Part 7.4).
This subsection has effect subject to subsection (3).
Note: ASIC must also have regard to the matters in section 798A in deciding whether to grant a licence.
Alternative criteria for granting licence for overseas market
(2) If an applicant is authorised to operate a financial market in the foreign country in which its principal place of business is located, ASIC may grant the applicant an Australian market licence authorising the applicant to operate the same market in this jurisdiction. ASIC must be satisfied that:
(a) the application was made in accordance with section 795A; and
(b) the applicant will comply with the obligations that will apply if the licence is granted; and
(c) the operation of the market in that country is subject to requirements and supervision that are sufficiently equivalent, in relation to the degree of investor protection and market integrity they achieve, to the requirements and supervision to which financial markets are subject under this Act in relation to those matters; and
(d) the applicant undertakes to cooperate with ASIC by sharing information and in other appropriate ways; and
(e) no unacceptable control situation (see Division 1 of Part 7.4) is likely to result if the licence is granted; and
(f) no disqualified individual appears to be involved in the applicant (see Division 2 of Part 7.4); and
(g) any other requirements that are prescribed by regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph are satisfied.
This subsection has effect subject to subsection (3).
Note: ASIC must also have regard to the matters in section 798A in deciding whether to grant a licence.
Foreign bodies
(3) If the applicant is a foreign body corporate, ASIC:
(a) must not grant the applicant a licence unless the applicant is registered under Division 2 of Part 5B.2; and
(b) may otherwise grant a licence under either subsection (1) or (2) (if the relevant criteria are satisfied).