CHANGES  LOOMING  IN  UK  CONSUMER  LAW  By  Christopher  Wakem,  London  Legal  Contractor  December  27,  2013    According  to  Eversheds,  the  Consumer  Rights  Directive  was  recently  enacted  throughout  the  European  Union.  The  law,  which  must  be  complied  with  by  June  of  2014,  affects  business  that  sell  their  goods  door-­‐to-­‐door,  off-­‐premises,  across  distances,  and  online.  What’s  more,  the  upcoming  Consumer  Rights  Bill  will  institute  additional  changes  to  UK  consumer  law.  While  this  is  great  news  for  consumers,  the  bad  news  is  not  many  UK  

business  leaders  are  aware  of  the  changes  and  how  they  will  affect  business.    Taken  together,  the  Directive  and  the  Bill  constitute  a  virtual  overhaul  of  British  consumer  law  as  we  know  it,  and  the  biggest  revision  in  over  three  decades.  Most  of  the  rules  and  regulations  hope  to  simplify  and  clarify  rights  of  the  consumer  in  the  advent  of  the  digital  age.  Specifically,  key  philosophical  shifts  are  taking  place  in  how  to  think  of  digital  content  (  as  a  good  rather  than  as  a  service),  how  to  deal  with  defective  services  (more  laws  requiring  re-­‐performance,  price  reductions,  and  full  refunds).  

 Many  of  the  changes  are  welcome  in  the  business  community  among  those  who  know  what  the  laws  stipulate–many  changes  are  in  fact  seen  as  long  overdue–but  they  will  also  burden  companies  with  supplementary  training  needs,  higher  costs,  and  further  administrative  burden.  Now  more  than  ever  it’s  vital  that  UK  companies  develop  expertise  (or  hire  an  outside  business  law  expert  such  as  myself)  to  make  sure  everything  is  being  done  by  the  book.      Christopher  Wakem  is  a  London-­‐based  legal  consultant/contractor  who  has  worked  in  the  independent  bar,  private  practice,  and  in-­‐house  sectors.  He  has  obtained  law  degrees  from  the  University  of  Sheffield  and  University  College.  Mr.  Wakem  has  provide  advice  in  a  wide  array  of  matters,  both  contentious  and  non-­‐contentious,  through  his  company  Lightbringer  Solutions  Ltd.  Chris  has  helped  companies  large  and  small  establish  risk  management  policies,  develop  start-­‐up  procedures,  negotiate  framework  agreements,  secure  insurance  coverage,  and  deal  with  Anti-­‐Money-­‐Laundering  and  Anti-­‐Bribery  and  corruption  matters.