Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982: Primary legislation governing service contracts, setting out implied terms about service quality and reasonable care and skill
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Governs how third parties may enforce terms of a contract to which they are not a direct party
Companies Act 2006: Relevant when contracting parties are companies, governing corporate capacity and execution requirements
Partnership Act 1890: Applicable if the consultant is operating as a partnership, defining partnership rights and obligations
Employment Rights Act 1996: Important for establishing clear consultant status and avoiding misclassification as employment relationship
IR35 Legislation: Tax legislation determining employment status for tax purposes, crucial for consultant arrangements
Agency Workers Regulations 2010: Relevant for determining whether consultant might be classified as an agency worker
UK GDPR: Data protection regulation governing how personal data must be handled and processed
Data Protection Act 2018: UK's implementation of data protection requirements, complementing UK GDPR
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: Governs intellectual property rights and their transfer in consulting arrangements
Trade Marks Act 1994: Relevant for protecting and transferring trademark rights in consulting work
Bribery Act 2010: Anti-corruption legislation affecting business relationships and requiring adequate procedures
Competition Act 1998: Governs anti-competitive practices and affects restrictive covenants in consulting agreements
Enterprise Act 2002: Further competition law considerations affecting business relationships
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: Relevant if consulting services involve regulated financial activities
Value Added Tax Act 1994: Governs VAT obligations in consulting relationships
Limitation Act 1980: Sets statutory time limits for bringing legal claims under the contract
Arbitration Act 1996: Governs arbitration procedures if included as dispute resolution mechanism
