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Use legislation as evidence, not decoration
The strongest citation is the one that matches the event, date, territory and remedy. This map provides the route from a practical problem to the relevant framework and official text.
Start here
Map the problem before citing an Act
A useful legal source connects the event, the exact rule and the remedy. An Act title on its own rarely establishes all three.
What was sold, promised, charged, refused or recorded?
Check the section, regulation, amendment and commencement position.
Explain what the rule entitles you to ask for and from whom.
Searchable map
Main legislation used across ConsumerWise
Search by Act, topic or practical problem. Live markers are checked through the ConsumerWise legislation endpoint, while every entry retains a direct official link.
Checking legislation.gov.uk sources
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Goods, digital content, services and unfair terms. The remedy depends on what was supplied, what went wrong and when the problem emerged.Checking official source
Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
Pre-contract information, cancellation rights, reimbursement and additional-payment rules for qualifying distance and off-premises contracts.Checking official source
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
The current unfair-commercial-practices framework and strengthened CMA consumer enforcement powers. Check commencement and the date of the conduct.Checking official source
Consumer Credit Act 1974
Regulated credit agreements, statutory notices, information rights and connected lender liability, including qualifying Section 75 claims.Checking official source
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
Rights and duties concerning personal data, including access, accuracy, erasure, restriction, fairness and security. The DPA supplements and qualifies the UK GDPR.Checking official source
Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
Amends parts of the UK data-protection and digital-information framework. Always check commencement and the consolidated law for the relevant date.Checking official source
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Access to recorded information held by covered public authorities, subject to exemptions, procedural rules and time requirements.Checking official source
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
A separate access regime for environmental information, with its own exceptions, public-interest approach and reconsideration process.Checking official source
Employment Rights Act 1996
Core statutory employment rights including wages, dismissal and written employment particulars. Tribunal time limits can be short.Checking official source
Equality Act 2010
Protected characteristics, prohibited conduct and reasonable adjustments across services, work and other fields. Different Parts apply in different contexts.Checking official source
Renters’ Rights Act 2025
Major reforms to assured tenancies in England. A provision being enacted does not necessarily mean it applied to the event, so commencement is essential.Checking official source
Housing Act 1988
The assured-tenancy framework, including possession grounds and statutory rent-increase procedures, as amended by later legislation.Checking official source
Housing Act 2004
Tenancy-deposit protection, housing hazards, licensing and enforcement provisions relevant to many private-renting disputes.Checking official source
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Important repairing and fitness obligations for many residential tenancies, including structure, exterior and key installations.Checking official source
Tenant Fees Act 2019
Restricts payments that landlords and agents can require from tenants in England and sets rules on deposits and other permitted payments.Checking official source
Protection from Eviction Act 1977
Criminal protections against unlawful eviction and specified harassment, alongside procedural restrictions on recovering possession.Checking official source
Housing Act 1996
The statutory homelessness framework, including inquiries, interim accommodation, decisions, internal reviews and appeals on points of law.Checking official source
ADR Regulations 2015
Rules forming part of the UK consumer ADR framework, including approved ADR arrangements and information duties in relevant situations.Checking official source
Package Travel Regulations 2018
Rights for qualifying package holidays and linked travel arrangements, including information, organiser responsibility and cancellation consequences.Checking official source
No matching legislation was found. Try the Act name, topic or remedy.
Source hierarchy
Legislation is one layer of the answer
A complaint can depend on several different kinds of authority. Use the label accurately so that a code or guidance page is not presented as if it were an Act.
| Layer | What it does | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Primary legislation | Acts create legal frameworks, powers, rights and duties. | Cite the relevant provision and check amendments. |
| Secondary legislation | Regulations and orders add detailed rules under statutory powers. | Check scope, exceptions and commencement. |
| Regulator rules | Binding rules can apply to authorised or licensed firms. | Identify the rulebook version and regulated entity. |
| Codes and scheme rules | Codes shape standards; scheme rules set eligibility and remedies. | State their status and do not overclaim their legal effect. |
| Case law | Courts interpret legislation and legal principles. | Check court level, facts and whether the decision is current. |
Dates and territory
Check version, commencement and jurisdiction
Legislation.gov.uk may show enacted text, revised text, prospective amendments and territorial information. The event date and location can change which text applies.
- Start with the event date. A later amendment does not automatically govern an earlier transaction.
- Check commencement. Royal Assent or making an instrument does not mean every provision began immediately.
- Check extent and application. UK-wide legislation can contain provisions that operate differently by nation.
- Save the version. Record the URL, access date and, for important disputes, a PDF or screenshot of the relevant text.
Live checking is a guardrail, not legal interpretation
The site checks whether supported official sources respond and can display official headings. It does not decide commencement, transitional provisions, territorial application or how the law applies to disputed facts.