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Journal of Trading Standards, Online Edition - JoTS Online

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.

 

Touchstone Awards set the gold standard

Posted: 17 January 2024

SPONSORED: The British Hallmarking Council's Touchstone Awards recognise outstanding Trading Standards work, celebrating innovative enforcement and partnership initiatives that deliver real consumer protection.
 

Updated codes for home buyers

Posted: 16 January 2024

UPDATES: Revised consumer codes for the home-building sector aim to improve consistency, strengthen protection for buyers and raise standards across the new homes market.
 

West Yorks TS find hidden stash

Posted: 16 January 2024

UPDATES: Trading Standards and police uncovered concealed illegal tobacco, cigarettes and vapes hidden behind an electronically controlled hatch in a Huddersfield shop, continuing a wider crackdown on organised criminal networks using sophisticated hiding places.
 

Opinion: Students deserve better

Posted: 15 January 2024

OPINION: Today's students face soaring tuition fees, crushing debt and often appalling rented accommodation. Comparing past and present, this commentary argues that higher education now demands far more financially while too often delivering far less.
 

Consumer Scotland: an eye to the future

Posted: 15 January 2024

ANALYSIS: As Consumer Scotland approaches its third year, its evidence-led work is shaping policy on the cost of living, essential services and the transition to Net Zero, while balancing the competing interests of today's consumers and future generations.
 

Time to talk about mental health

Posted: 15 January 2024

ANALYSIS: Cornwall Trading Standards' Speak Out to Help Out initiative tackles the growing mental health crisis affecting farmers, recognising how financial pressures, isolation and emotional strain can threaten both personal wellbeing and animal welfare.
 

Council funding on a cliff-edge

Posted: 15 January 2024

ANALYSIS: Mounting deficits, Section 114 notices and shrinking budgets are pushing councils towards financial crisis. What does this mean for Trading Standards services, statutory responsibilities and the future of local consumer protection?
 

Under the skin of illicit practices

Posted: 15 January 2024

ANALYSIS: Tougher legislation has given Trading Standards new powers to tackle illegal cosmetic procedures on under-18s, but enforcing the law against unregistered practitioners operating through social media presents significant practical challenges.
 

Opinion: TS's biggest fan

Posted: 15 January 2024

OPINION: Reflecting on more than two decades at CTSI, this personal perspective celebrates the achievements of the Trading Standards profession while highlighting the growing influence of policy work in raising consumer protection issues nationally.
 

Opinion: Fake it till you make it

Posted: 15 January 2024

OPINION: Artificial intelligence promises major benefits for Trading Standards, but it also raises difficult questions around privacy, bias, regulation and accountability that the profession cannot afford to ignore as adoption accelerates.
 

BVA calls for breeding regulation

Posted: 15 January 2024

UPDATES: Veterinary bodies are urging stronger regulation of dog breeding and canine fertility clinics, warning that legal loopholes enable poor animal welfare, criminal activity and unqualified practitioners to profit from growing consumer demand.
 

Wigan TS seizes illicit products

Posted: 08 January 2024

UPDATES: Wigan Trading Standards has removed more than £200,000 worth of illicit tobacco and vaping products from sale, with major seizures, shop enforcement and joint operations targeting persistent offenders across the borough.
 

Lengthy sentence for fake poster fraudster

Posted: 08 January 2024

UPDATES: Lancashire Trading Standards brought down a prolific counterfeit poster operation after uncovering industrial-scale printing equipment and thousands of copyrighted images. The investigation exposed more than £1 million in fraudulent sales and ended with a three-and-a-half year prison sentence.
 

Company fined for misuse of logos

Posted: 08 January 2024

UPDATES: A property maintenance director has been prosecuted after falsely displaying recognised trade accreditation logos and claiming membership of certification schemes. The case highlights how misleading endorsements can distort competition and undermine consumer confidence.
 

In conversation: John Herriman

Posted: 05 January 2024

OPINION: CTSI Chief Executive John Herriman reflects on steering the Institute through Brexit, Covid and years of shrinking resources, while setting out his ambitions for recruitment, training, political influence and raising the profile of Trading Standards.
 

Illicit tobacco haul in Tower Hamlets

Posted: 03 January 2024

UPDATES: Tower Hamlets Trading Standards uncovered a significant cache of illicit tobacco and oversized vapes hidden in secret compartments during pre-Christmas raids. The seizure forms part of wider efforts to disrupt organised criminal supply networks.
 

Staffs TS nabs illegal cigarettes & vapes

Posted: 03 January 2024

UPDATES: Staffordshire Trading Standards has intensified its crackdown on illegal tobacco and oversized vapes through national enforcement operations, with fresh seizures adding to a growing haul of illicit products removed from local businesses.
 

Warks TS seizes banned US candy

Posted: 22 December 2023

UPDATES: Warwickshire Trading Standards has removed imported American sweets and drinks containing additives banned in the UK, reinforcing warnings about non-compliant confectionery that continues to reach retailers despite potential health risks.
 

CTSI sounds alarm on council funding

Posted: 20 December 2023

UPDATES: CTSI is urging ministers to rethink local government funding proposals, warning that further financial pressure on councils could weaken already stretched Trading Standards services and leave consumers increasingly exposed to harm.
 

Obituary: James Williams

Posted: 18 December 2023

UPDATES: Friends and colleagues remember James Williams as a larger-than-life Trading Standards officer whose humour, determination and unforgettable exploits were matched by a lifelong commitment to protecting consumers and supporting the profession.