UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018: Primary legislation governing how personal information about the student can be collected, processed, stored and shared in recommendation letters. Requires compliance with data protection principles and lawful basis for processing.

Human Rights Act 1998: Particularly Article 8 which ensures the right to privacy. The recommendation letter must balance transparency with respect for the student's private life.

Defamation Act 2013: Ensures that any statements made in the recommendation letter are truthful and not defamatory. Protects against false statements that could damage reputation.

University Internal Policies: Institution-specific regulations and guidelines regarding academic references and recommendation letters, including format requirements and permitted content.

QAA Guidelines: Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education guidelines that set standards for academic quality and may influence the content and format of recommendation letters.

Equality Act 2010: Prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics. The recommendation letter must be written in an unbiased manner avoiding discriminatory language or content.

Freedom of Information Act 2000: Governs potential disclosure of information. Understanding that the recommendation letter might be subject to disclosure requests under certain circumstances.

Professional Code of Conduct: Ethical guidelines and professional standards that professors must adhere to when writing recommendation letters, including honesty and objectivity requirements.