Course features

The UK's consumer protection regime is entering a new era of enforcement. As regulators gain stronger powers and expectations around compliance continue to grow, organisations need professionals who can understand regulatory risk, respond effectively to scrutiny and navigate an increasingly complex legal landscape.

This course combines a practical grounding in consumer law with focused insight into compliance, risk management and enforcement. You'll examine how consumer law operates in practice, explore the CMA's direct enforcement powers and consider the challenges facing organisations across digital and consumer-facing sectors. The programme equips you with the expertise to manage risk, support informed decision-making and respond to regulatory change in a rapidly evolving enforcement environment.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the purpose, sources and structure of UK consumer law.
• Identify the principal consumer protection rules applicable to digital markets and online business models.
• Recognise and assess unfair commercial practices under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
• Apply legal principles relating to unfair terms, distance selling, subscription contracts and digital content.
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of regulators involved in consumer law enforcement.
• Explain the CMA's direct enforcement powers, procedures and remedies.
• Assess legal and commercial risks arising from consumer law non-compliance.
• Evaluate potential enforcement outcomes, including penalties, directions, redress measures and appeals.
• Develop practical strategies for responding to investigations and enforcement action.
• Apply consumer law principles to real-world business, advisory and regulatory scenarios. 

 

Course schedule

The course will be delivered over six weeks, with one session per week. Each session will run for approximately 2.5 hours:

1. Overview of Consumer Law
2. Unfair Commercial Practices (DMCC Act Part 4 Ch 1)
3. Key cross-cutting laws
4. Overview of Consumer Enforcement
5. CMA Direct Enforcement in detail (1)
6. CMA Direct Enforcement in detail (2)

Please note: Session details are indicative and may be subject to change. Final session information will be confirmed when registration for the next programme opens.

Entry requirements

This programme is designed for professionals seeking a practical understanding of consumer law, compliance and enforcement.

It will be particularly relevant for:

• In-house legal advisers responsible for consumer law compliance and risk.
• Lawyers and professionals advising on the application of consumer protection law.
• Individuals working in or moving into private practice who wish to develop specialist expertise in consumer law and enforcement.
• Public sector advisers, regulators, enforcers and policymakers involved in consumer regulation and enforcement.
• Professionals working in compliance, regulatory affairs and risk management.
• Advanced postgraduate students seeking to build specialist knowledge of consumer law and enforcement.

Further information

How to apply

Click the “Apply” button and complete the short admissions questionnaire. Please note that your place will only be confirmed once payment has been received. 

This course is open to all applicants. We recommend reviewing the Course Overview and Learner Profile to ensure it aligns with your goals. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the course’s suitability, please contact ExecEd-Law@kcl.ac.uk and a member of the Programme Team will be happy to assist you.

If you require further information about the course or Executive Education at The Dickson Poon School of Law, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact ExecEd-Law@kcl.ac.uk.