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Welcome to the Journal of Trading Standards online edition, JoTS Online. Browse through our latest Articles - including Analysis, Opinion Pieces, Features and a selection of articles from our acclaimed print journal.
Although many JoTS Online articles are open access (public), others are exclusive to CTSI Members - in which case, you'll need to login to access them. If you aren't a member of CTSI yet, you can join us here. And, if you'd like to contribute articles or suggest topics for us to cover, please email our Editorial Team.
Latest JoTS Online Articles :
News Category Tags: Crime, Product Safety, Health and Safety, Counterfeit Goods, Retail, Animal Health and Welfare, Legal and Policy, Enforcement Practice, Product Recalls, Property and Housing, Automotive, Vapes, Business, CTSI Conference, CTSI Hero Awards.
Opinion: The self-starter
Posted: 08 July 2024
OPINION: A career in Trading Standards can begin in unexpected ways. Reflecting on a journey from an entry-level role into the profession, this personal account considers the value of transferable skills, continuous learning and taking opportunities that can shape a rewarding regulatory career.
Opinion: A taste of things to come
Posted: 08 July 2024
OPINION: Representing a profession as broad as Trading Standards demands ambition as well as experience. Looking ahead to new challenges, this piece reflects on leadership, professional pride, workforce development and the importance of championing the people who protect consumers every day.
Opinion: Get the pieces in place
Posted: 08 July 2024
OPINION: Successful recruitment depends on much more than filling vacancies. Offering practical advice for recruiting managers, this piece explores preparation, working effectively with HR, recognising the right qualities in candidates and building balanced teams capable of meeting future challenges.
Opinion: Recipes for disaster
Posted: 08 July 2024
OPINION: Every fatal allergic reaction represents a preventable tragedy. Using food allergen safety as its focus, this opinion piece argues that robust labelling, responsible food businesses and determined enforcement remain essential to protecting lives and preventing avoidable disasters.
Shared goals on illicit vapes
Posted: 08 July 2024
SPONSORED: As illicit and non-compliant vapes place growing pressure on enforcement teams, Inter Scientific explains how laboratory expertise and a free compliance database are helping Trading Standards identify products, support investigations and protect consumers.
The devil's in the detail
Posted: 08 July 2024
ANALYSIS: The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act represents one of the biggest changes to consumer law in years. This assessment examines its development, new enforcement powers and what the legislation will mean in practice for Trading Standards.
Hitting the brakes on admin fees
Posted: 03 July 2024
ANALYSIS: Hidden administration fees in the used car market prompted complaints and enforcement action. Discover how Trading Standards challenged the practice, the legal issues involved and the wider implications for dealers and consumer confidence.
Newham TS seizes illicit tobacco
Posted: 03 July 2024
UPDATES: Intelligence-led operations across Newham uncovered significant quantities of illicit tobacco, oversized vapes and other illegal products, highlighting the continuing value of partnership working in disrupting organised illicit trade.
To serve them all my days...
Posted: 03 July 2024
ANALYSIS: Retirement does not always mark the end of public service. This feature reflects on the many former Trading Standards professionals who continue contributing their expertise, experience and commitment in new voluntary and public-facing roles.
Exploring Leeds' Black history
Posted: 02 July 2024
UPDATES: Delegates at the CTSI Conference joined a guided Black History Walk through Leeds, exploring overlooked stories, significant locations and the city's diverse heritage while reflecting on inclusion within the profession.
Setting the gold standard
Posted: 02 July 2024
ANALYSIS: From the Tower of London to modern South Wales, the Royal Mint's remarkable history reveals how technological change, decimalisation and innovation transformed one of Britain's oldest institutions.
CPPD Module 26: Contract law basics
Posted: 02 July 2024
DEVELOPMENT: Clear contracts underpin effective dispute resolution and consumer protection. This CPPD module explains the essentials of contract law, key legal principles and the practical knowledge needed by Trading Standards professionals.
UK food security in 'absolute chaos'
Posted: 01 July 2024
UPDATES: Food security expert Professor Chris Elliott warns that mounting pressures across the supply chain demand urgent government action, including dedicated ministerial leadership to strengthen the UK's food system.
CTSI calls for new tax on online giants
Posted: 01 July 2024
UPDATES: CTSI is urging government to introduce a new tax on major online marketplaces, arguing the proceeds should help tackle the growing costs of enforcing consumer protection in the digital marketplace.
Bolton TS shutters illicit shop
Posted: 01 July 2024
UPDATES: Following a year-long investigation and seven raids, Bolton Trading Standards secured a rare Closure Order against a shop repeatedly selling illicit tobacco. Hidden compartments, counterfeit goods and sustained enforcement underline the scale of the operation and the message to offenders.
Obituary: Andy Allen
Posted: 27 June 2024
UPDATES: A tribute to Andy Allen celebrates the life and career of the much-loved consumer protection champion who built the UKICC into a respected international service, reflecting on his professional achievements, generosity, humour and lasting impact on colleagues across the UK and Europe.
Huge tobacco seizure in Derbyshire
Posted: 24 June 2024
UPDATES: Derbyshire Trading Standards has seized illicit cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and vapes worth more than £255,000, with officers uncovering major hauls in South Derbyshire and Chesterfield as part of continuing work to disrupt the illegal tobacco trade.
Rogue trader brought to justice
Posted: 24 June 2024
UPDATES: Reading Trading Standards has secured a 32-month prison sentence for rogue trader Michael Gorman, who exploited a 90-year-old man through inflated landscaping charges and left the victim facing a £42,000 bill for a small artificial grass installation.
Public warned of summer ticket scams
Posted: 23 June 2024
UPDATES: Croydon Trading Standards is warning consumers to take care when buying tickets for summer sports and music events, using Get Safe Online advice to highlight the risks of fake listings, cloned websites and fraudsters targeting high-demand occasions.
'Cash for crash' scams targeted
Posted: 13 June 2024
UPDATES: City of London Trading Standards and police have targeted ‘cash for crash’ fraud by visiting garages to identify mopeds used in staged collisions, warning that the scams endanger road users while driving up costs for honest motorists.
