In this section
Trading Standards
For more information on the work of Trading Standards services - and the possible consequences of not abiding by the law - please see 'Trading Standards: powers, enforcement and penalties'.
In this update
Changes to reflect amendments in the court rules and practice directions. This Business in Focus guide has also been combined with the In-depth Guide on ADR, which has been deleted.
Last reviewed / updated: July 2025
Key legislation
Please note
This information is intended for guidance; only the courts can give an authoritative interpretation of the law.
The guide's 'Key legislation' links may only show the original version of the legislation, although some amending legislation is linked to separately where it is directly related to the content of a guide. Information on changes to legislation can be found by following the above links and clicking on the 'More Resources' tab.