The Markets and Fairs Clauses Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. 14) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that standardised provisions and definitions relating to markets and fairs in the United Kingdom. [1]
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When markets are created by statute, they typically incorporate section 13 of the act which makes it an offence to sell goods normally traded in the market (with certain exceptions). These monopolistic protections are exclusively available to legally established markets. [2]
The Gasworks Clauses Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. 15), the Commissioners Clauses Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. 16) and the Waterworks Clauses Act 1847 (10 & 11 Vict. c. 17) passed at the same time as the act, standardised provisions and definitions relating to gasworks, commissioners and waterworks companies in the United Kingdom, respectively.
As of 2025, the act remains in force in the United Kingdom.