Consumer protection offences

The statutory product safety and consumer protection regime in the UK, covering civil and criminal liability, is mainly legislated for by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA 2015), the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (CPA 1987), the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA 2024) and the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR 2005), SI 2005/1803. These are supplemented by a wider range of product and consumer specific regulations.

As of 6 April 2025, the regime for protection from unfair commercial practices under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPUTR 2008), SI 2008/1277 has been revoked and replaced by the provisions under DMCCA 2024. However, the regime under CPUTR 2008 will continue to apply to conduct occurring prior to 6 April 2025.

Practice Note: Key consumer legislation—summary sets out a brief description of the key consumer legislation that businesses dealing with consumers should be aware of. It considers the core legislation relevant when trading or contracting with consumers and other key legislation relevant to the business-to-consumer relationship in the context of advertising, data protection, e-commerce,