{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/financial-services-and-markets-act-2000/section-138E",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/financial-services-and-markets-act-2000/section-138E.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2000/8",
  "legislation_title": "Financial Services and Markets Act 2000",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/financial-services-and-markets-act-2000",
  "path": "section/138E",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "138E",
  "heading": "Limits on effect of contravening rules",
  "text": "(1) A person is not guilty of an offence by reason of a contravention of a rule made by either regulator.\n(2) No such contravention makes any transaction void or unenforceable.\n(3) Subsection (2) does not apply in relation to—\n(a) rules made by the FCA under section 137C, ...\n(b) product intervention rules made by the FCA under section 137D ...\n(c) rules made by the FCA under section 137FBB ...\n(d) rules made by the FCA under section 137FD ; or\n(e) designated activity rules imposing under paragraph (2) of regulation 32 of the Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024 (withdrawal rights in connection with public offers of securities) a duty in relation to which provision made under paragraph (4) of that regulation applies.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 9A substituted for ss. 138-164 (24.1.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2013 in so far as not already in force) by Financial Services Act 2012 (c. 21), ss. 24(1), 122(3) (with Sch. 20); S.I. 2013/113, art. 2(1)(c), Sch. Pt. 3; S.I. 2013/423, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in s. 138E(3)(a) omitted (6.7.2016) by virtue of Bank of England and Financial Services Act 2016 (c. 14), ss. 35(3)(a), 41(3); S.I. 2016/627, reg. 2(1)(z)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 138E(3)(c) and word inserted (6.7.2016) by Bank of England and Financial Services Act 2016 (c. 14), ss. 35(3)(b), 41(3); S.I. 2016/627, reg. 2(1)(z)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 138E(3)(b) omitted (E.W.S.) (29.3.2019) by virtue of Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018 (c. 10), ss. 28(3)(a), 37(5); S.I. 2019/743, reg. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Word in s. 138E(3)(c) omitted (30.1.2024 for specified purposes, 19.1.2026 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of The Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/105), reg. 2(2)(3), Sch. 3 para. 15(a) (with regs. 48-50); S.I. 2025/1078, reg. 5(b) (with reg. 12)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 138E(3)(d) and word inserted (E.W.S.) (29.3.2019) by Financial Guidance and Claims Act 2018 (c. 10), ss. 28(3)(b), 37(5); S.I. 2019/743, reg. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word in s. 138E(3)(d) inserted (30.1.2024 for specified purposes, 19.1.2026 in so far as not already in force) by The Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/105), reg. 2(2)(3), Sch. 3 para. 15(b) (with regs. 48-50); S.I. 2025/1078, reg. 5(b) (with reg. 12)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 138E(3)(e) inserted (30.1.2024 for specified purposes, 19.1.2026 in so far as not already in force) by The Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/105), reg. 2(2)(3), Sch. 3 para. 15(c) (with regs. 48-50); S.I. 2025/1078, reg. 5(b) (with reg. 12)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 138E applied (with modifications) by 2013 c. 13, s. 97D(2)(3) (as inserted (26.10.2018) by The Financial Regulators Powers (Technical Standards etc.) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1115), regs. 1(2), 10(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 138E applied (with modifications) by 2013 c. 13, Sch. 4 para. 9A(5)(6) (as inserted (26.10.2018) by The Financial Regulators Powers (Technical Standards etc.) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1115), regs. 1(2), 10(5)(c))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "Pt. 9A Ch. 2 applied in part (1.7.2021) by Regulation (EU) No. 600/2014, Art. 50D (as inserted by Financial Services Act 2021 (c. 22), s. 49(5), Sch. 10 para. 12 (with Sch. 10 para. 13); S.I. 2021/739, reg. 3(o))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 138E applied (1.7.2021) by Regulation (EU) No. 648/2012, Art. 84b(1)(2) (as inserted by Financial Services Act 2021 (c. 22), ss. 40(4), 49(5); S.I. 2021/739, reg. 3(v))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "Pt. 9A applied (1.7.2021) by Regulation (EU) No. 600/2014, Art. 49A(12) (as inserted by Financial Services Act 2021 (c. 22), s. 49(5), Sch. 10 para. 9; S.I. 2021/739, reg. 3(o))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "Ss. 138E-138H applied (8.6.2023 for specified purposes, 7.10.2023 in so far as not already in force) by The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2023 (S.I. 2023/612), art. 1(2), Sch. para. 1(f) (with art. 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 138E applied (with modifications) (29.8.2023) by Regulation (EU) No. 648/2012, Art. 84c (as inserted by Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (c. 29), s. 86(3), Sch. 2 para. 30 (with s. 2(3)); S.I. 2023/779, reg. 4(zz)(ii))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 138E applied (30.1.2024 for specified purposes, 1.11.2024 in so far as not already in force) by The Securitisation Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/102), reg. 2(1)(e)(2), Sch. 1 para. 9(2)(d) (with reg. 52(3), Sch. 3); as amended by S.I. 2024/705, regs. 1(2), 2(2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/8/section/138E",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:21:21.899993+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}