The Law Commission of England and Wales has launched a new project to consider whether a consumer class actions regime should be introduced.

The Government has asked the Law Commission to assess whether the enforcement of consumer laws could be strengthened through such a mechanism, examining both its potential benefits and risks alongside existing enforcement tools such as public enforcement action and alternative dispute resolution.

The Law Commission is seeking views from a wide range of stakeholders via an Initial Scoping Questionnaire (a link to the document can be found here). Responses are invited by 30 October 2026.

The Law Commission has confirmed that further engagement with individuals and organisations will take place once the project is underway, ahead of the publication of a consultation paper setting out provisional proposals for reform.

The project will examine not only whether a consumer class actions regime is desirable, but also how any such regime should be designed if one were to be introduced.

This announcement marks a potentially significant development at a time when UK consumer protection is already undergoing substantial change (see our DMCCA tracker page for more).

At present, consumers in England and Wales have limited collective redress options for widespread harm caused by unlawful business practices. While regulators such as the Competition and Markets Authority and Trading Standards can and do take public enforcement action, and alternative dispute resolution schemes exist in certain sectors, there is no general mechanism enabling groups of consumers to bring private claims efficiently.

A consumer class actions regime could, if introduced, offer a more accessible route to redress for consumers who suffer relatively low-value but widespread harm – cases where individual litigation would be impractical. However, the design of any such regime will be critical: questions around funding, case certification, distribution of damages, and safeguards against unmeritorious claims will all require careful consideration.

For further information, please contact Claire Livingstone.