What is the Consumer Court?
The Consumer Court, also referred to as ‘The Consumer Court of
India’, is a legal institution mandated by the Indian Government. The primary
role of the consumer court is to provide a venue for individual consumers who
are subjected to illegal, unlawful, or unethical commercial practices within
the Indian Commercial Marketplace.
The functions of the Consumer Court are specific to only several
countries and nations. Oftentimes, commercial grievances are heard within other
court settings that are typically not specific to consumer affairs. That being
said, the instatement of a Consumer Court by the Indian Government in the
middle of the 20th century allows for the protection and advocacy of Consumer’s
Rights.
The opportunity to present a case before the Consumer Court is
considered to be a fairly accessible process. In the event that a consumer
wishes to file a grievance before the Consumer Court, they will need to furnish
a payment of 100 Rupees. Claimants have the choice to hire an attorney or serve
as their own legal representation.
Types of Commercial Court of India
Within the basic structure of the Consumer Court of India, there
exists a classification system granted to cases heard within its venue. This
classification system provides for 3 levels of categorization with regard
consumer hearings. Yet, despite a case’s respective classification, all
consumer matters and grievances are heard by the overarching Consumer Court
system.
The National Consumer Court of India is responsible for the
administration and judicial review of cases involving the largest amounts of
financial loss or monetary grievance.
The District Consumer Court of India is responsible for the
administration and judicial review of cases involving the smallest amounts of
financial loss or monetary grievance. These cases involve matters no exceeding
20 Lacs.
Common Cases Heard Before the Consumer Court of India
Although the Consumer Court of India is responsible for hearing
all matters within the scope of Consumer Law within India, the following cases
are amongst the most commonly-heard:
The analysis and judicial review of the adulteration of
ingredients is common within Consumer Court. Suppliers and manufacturers of
edible oil products will be cited with supplementing ingredients within their
products without giving notice to the consumer populace. This is regarded as a
fraudulent act that may result in the ingestion and consumption of ingredients
without the knowledge of the consumer.
Food Shortages and Hoarding are also typically heard before the
Consumer Court of India. These cases result from the exclusivity assumed by a
single supplier within the commercial industry, which allows for the unlawful
and unregulated mandating of market activity and exchange.
Items sold on the Black Market, as well as the investigation of
Black Market suppliers, are common cases heard before the Consumer Court of
India. These cases involve the exploitation of the consumer market with regard
to product liability and warranty.
