Preface

It is now six years since the last edition. The major legislative change concerns the continuing and extensive process of modifying EU-inspired legislation, much of which goes beyond the subject matter of this book. The most significant consumer protection measure affected in this way is the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. In dealing with unfair trading, this measure supersedes the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. The targeted offences remain substantially the same, but the civil remedies in the Regulations, due to be modified in the 2024 Act, remain until the relevant provisions of the 2024 Act are brought into force. Other statutory changes include the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023, which ascribes to certain trade documents in electronic form the same functionality as their paper counterparts, without however expanding the legal effect of documents such as warehouse receipts. The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 contains certain provisions dealing with contractual freedom between suppliers and receivers of goods and services.