United Kingdom: Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Alternative Dispute Resolution) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 enter into force

On 6 April 2026, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Alternative Dispute Resolution-ADR) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 enter into force. The Regulations make consequential amendments to primary and secondary legislation following the entry into force of Chapter 4 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The Chapter replaces the voluntary alternative dispute resolution framework with a mandatory accreditation framework applicable to ADR providers handling consumer contract disputes. The instrument does not introduce new substantive ADR obligations but aligns existing legislation with the statutory ADR framework established by the Act. The Regulations revoke the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015 and remove or replace related references in legislation, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Energy Act 2023. They further amend the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 to refer to the new statutory framework and clarify a point-in-time reference in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Claims Management Activity) Order 2018, with amendments applying to the same territorial extent as the provisions amended.