Other regulatory law
Advertising standards
Members advise on submissions to the ASA. Recent examples include:
- adjudications that advertisements were misleading if they suggested that the decision to take out a loan “had not been carefully considered”;
- the “crazy frog” ringtone adjudication (before both the ASA and ICSTIS panels);
- misleading pricing by high street retailers;
- borderline medicinal claims.
Litigated cases include:
- Gateshead MBC v CC Automotive Group [2008]: consumer credit advertising; typical APR; car sales;
- Gateshead MBC v Reg Vardy plc [2008]: consumer credit advertising; pricing of cars
Travel and holidays
Members have acted for both major travel companies and individuals in relation to disputes and litigation arising out of the Timeshare Act 1992, Holiday Clubs, and the civil and criminal aspects of the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. Members have also advised the Civil Aviation Authority in relation to potential enforcement action under the Enterprise Act 2002 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, as well as the application of the Montreal Convention to consumer claims arising from flight delays and cancellations.
- Dorset CC v Alpine Elements Ltd [2013]: Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 inapplicable to package travel case; sectoral package travel directive should apply instead
Telecommunications and utilities
Members have been active in advising OFGEM, OFCOM and telecom and mobile phone companies on regulatory issues, including advice on enforcement action under the Enterprise Act 2000 and the General Conditions. We also advise businesses on compliance with the Communications Act 2003, OFCOM Guidance and the General Conditions (including advising on challenges to early termination charges, automatic renewable contracts and minimum term renewals). Members draft and advise on standard contractual terms, and advise and represent telecom and mobile phone companies in relation to legal challenges by consumers.
- R v Scottish and Southern Energy plc (CA) (2012) 176 J.P. 241; [2012] C.T.L.C. 1: doorstep sales; electricity supply industry
Estate agency
Members of chambers have appeared before the OFT and the DTI in relation to prohibition orders made under the Estate Agents Act 1979.
- Jackson Howes v Halligan [2009]: alleged contravention of Estate Agents Act 1979; disclosure of charges to residential landlord
Road traffic
Members of chambers prosecute and defend a variety of road traffic offences. We also represent companies for alleged breaches of operators’ licences.
- Traffic Commissioners v Stringer Asset Finance [2011]: release of impounded stretch limousine to finance company with title;
- Traffic Commissioners v McLeans Coaches [2010]: fitness to hold operator’s licence of administrator of a coach company which had sold its assets;
- Traffic Commissioners v Angora Ltd [2009]: demonstration of fitness to hold operator’s licence
Works written by (or contributed by) members of chambers include:
- ‘Consumer and Trading Standards: Law and Practice’ (‘the Pink Book’), Jordan (2013)
- ‘Enforcement of Consumer Rights and Protections’ (2015)
- ‘Advertising Law and Regulation‘, ed G. Crown, 2nd edn, Bloomsbury Professional (2010)
- Butterworths’ Law of Food and Drugs
- Atkin’s Court Forms on Consumer Protection (Butterworths, 2008)
- The Enforcement of Regulatory Offences (Sweet & Maxwell, 1998)
- Contributions to Current Law.
Our Trading Law Bulletin is a free quarterly digest of relevant cases and developments in the area of consumer and regulatory law. The TLB can be posted to you but both the current issue and all back issues are available online.
Since 2007, we have published our own set of law reports, the Consumer and Trading Law Cases (CTLCs), covering cases of particular interest for lawyers dealing with consumer and regulatory law, most of which are not reported elsewhere.
We are corporate members of the Trading Standards Institute (“TSI”). Chambers takes a stand at the TSI Conference annually and members regularly give lectures at the Mini-Theatre sessions at the conference. For details of our attendance at this year’s conference please visit our News page.