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  • We have been highly impressed with George, both in terms of drafting and advocacy. He has excellent knowledge of consumer credit law and a total command of the facts of the matter.

    Chambers UK Bar, 2023

  • He punches well above his weight with the quality of his pleadings and advice.

    Chambers UK Bar, 2024

  • A skilful cross-examiner.

    Judge, 2024

  • He is a very persuasive advocate.

    Judge, 2025

    • George is a specialist regulatory and consumer law barrister and has experience across all of Chambers’ core practice areas, including consumer finance, financial services, regulatory crime and general consumer law. He undertakes drafting and advisory work and appears in both criminal and civil courts.

    George is also Direct Access qualified.

    • Financial services, regulated lending and consumer finance

      George regularly advises and represents banks and financial institutions.

      In relation to consumer finance, he has particular experience with:

      • mortgage possession claims
      • conditional sale and hire purchase agreements and return of goods
      • compliance and enforceability of CCA 1974 statutory notices
      • s.75 CCA 1974 connected lender liability
      • s.140A CCA 1974 unfair relationship claims

      In relation to financial services and regulated lending, he has particular experience with:

      • FSMA 2000 and RAO regulated activities, including Regulated Credit Agreements, Regulated Mortgage Contracts and the relevant exemptions
      • Allegations of breach of the general prohibition on carrying out regulated activities by way of business without authorisation or exemption
      • Salary sacrifice schemes
      • Collective investment schemes
      • Breathing Space Regulations
      • Payment Service Regulations and Electronic Money Regulations

      He has been regularly instructed in relation to the mainstream bulk consumer litigation:

      • This includes “financial mis-selling” and “secret broker commission” claims, particularly those relating to PPI, mortgages, motor finance, and solar panels.
      • His drafting and written advocacy has been used by several clients for in-house templates.
      • He was on the panel of selected counsel for one lender in relation to motor finance commission claims.

      George is also regularly instructed to advise on unregulated lending matters, including commercial bridging finance, personal guarantees and default interest.

    • Trading standards and regulatory crime

      George advises and represents clients in relation to a wide variety of criminal regulatory and civil enforcement matters. He both prosecutes and defends, individuals and corporations.

      He has particular experience with:

      • Fraud and fraudulent trading.
      • Directors’ liability.
      • Proceeds of Crime.
      • Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, now the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
      • Behaviour orders (including ASBOs, CBOs, CDDOs, PSPOs).
      • Food law, particularly in relation to unsafe food and allergens.
      • Product safety, including counterfeit, non-compliant and unsafe products.
      • Animal welfare

      In relation to civil regulatory work, he has particular experience with:

      • Regulator enforcement powers and jurisdiction.
      • Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforcement.
      • Licensing decisions and civil appeals.
      • House of Commons Select Committee hearings.

      George assisted Jonathan Kirk KC and Iain MacDonald in the judicial review of “use by dates” and “unsafe food” in relation to the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and the food information to consumers regulations, Regulation (EU) 1169/2011: R (Tesco Stores Ltd) v Birmingham Magistrates’ Court [2020] EWHC 799 (Admin).

      George has also provided video and in-person training sessions to clients on a variety of regulatory matters, including directors’ liability, POCA proceedings and regulatory powers and enforcement strategies.

    • General consumer law

      George has broad experience of consumer law matters, including those relating to:

      • Consumer Rights Act 2015, in particular the provision of defective goods and/or services
      • Unfair contract terms and penalty clauses
      • Frustrated contracts
      • Timeshare contracts
      • Online and distance selling

      He has particular experience with vehicle-related issues:

      • He frequently advises on disputes relating to the passing of good title, which can include issues of mercantile agents, factors, and bills of sale.
      • He has appeared in the High Court in relation to freezing injunctions over vehicles assets.

      He was counsel in the leading authority on the impact of COVID-19 on weddings in the context of frustration: Willis v Offley.

    • Events
    • News
    • Publications

      Practitioner texts

      • Consumer & Trading Standards: Law and Practice (Jordans) – Contributing Editor of Metrology & Hallmarking Chapter
      • Miller: Product Liability and Safety Encyclopaedia (LexisNexis) – Editor of Division IV Criminal Law: Product Safety
      • The Encyclopaedia of Financial Services Law (Sweet & Maxwell) – Contributor

       

      Articles

      October 2025 – PLC Column: Breathing Space Regulations and Forbes

      October 2024 – PLC Column: Johnson v FirstRand, the Court of Appeal decision and commission disclosure

      August 2023 – PLC Column: Johnson v FirstRand and HHJ Jarman KC’s decision on fiduciaries

      March 2023 – PLC Column: Arthistory v Campbell, RMCs and unfair relationships

      July 2022 – PLC Column: the paragraph 55 exemption

      Greenwashing

      “Loot boxes”, video games and consumer law

      “Beer Growlers” and legal quantities

    • Education, qualifications, memberships
      • Called Gray’s Inn 2017
      • BPTC at the University of Law, London
      • Graduate Diploma in Law at the University of Law, London
      • MEng in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London
    • Privacy Notice

      Who I am

      I am a specialist consumer law barrister providing legal services at Gough Square Chambers. You can contact me at george.spence-jones@goughsq.co.uk, on 0207 353 0924 or at Gough Square Chambers, 6-7 Gough Square, London EC4A 3DE.

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      Please see my Full Privacy Notice for more information on how I use your information and your rights in respect of that use.

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