Bills of Exchange Act 1882: Primary legislation governing negotiable instruments including promissory notes. Section 83 defines promissory notes and Section 89 specifies validity requirements.

Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989: Relevant legislation when the promissory note includes security provisions or is secured against property.

Limitation Act 1980: Sets statutory time limits for enforcing the note, typically 6 years for simple contracts.

Consumer Credit Act 1974: Applicable if the promissory note involves a consumer transaction, requiring specific formalities and disclosures.

Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: Relevant if the promissory note could be classified as a security instrument.

Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Governs the fairness of contractual terms, particularly important if one party is a consumer.

Common Law - Consideration: Legal doctrine requiring that something of value must be exchanged for the promise in the note to be legally binding.

Common Law - Contractual Capacity: Legal principle requiring that all parties must have the legal capacity to enter into a contract.

Common Law - Legal Intent: Doctrine requiring that all parties must intend to create legally binding relations.