The Indian judiciary is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the laws of the country, and plays a critical role in protecting the rights of consumers. The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is the primary legislation in India that provides for the protection of consumer rights. This law establishes consumer protection councils at the central and state levels, and gives consumers the right to file complaints with these councils if they feel that their rights have been violated. The law also provides for the establishment of consumer courts, which have the power to hear and decide cases related to consumer complaints.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, consumers have the right to be protected against any unfair trade practices, such as false advertising, hoarding, and black marketing. They also have the right to be informed about the quality, quantity, purity, standard, and price of goods or services, and to receive goods that conform to their specifications. Additionally, the Act established rules and regulations on how to handle and resolve consumer disputes, which are heard by Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum (CDRF) on three levels: District, State, National level.
The judiciary in India has played an important role in interpreting and enforcing consumer protection laws, and has handed down a number of important decisions in this area. For example, in a number of cases, courts have held that manufacturers and service providers have an obligation to ensure that their products and services are safe and of good quality, and that they are not misleading or deceptive in their advertising.
In addition to Consumer Protection Act, Indian judiciary also uses other acts such as Indian Contract Act, 1872, Sale of Goods Act, 1930, Indian Penal Code, 1860 and others for consumer protection.
It’s also worth noting that India has implemented some recent laws such as Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, which is yet to be enacted, it aims to protect the rights of individuals over their personal data.
In summary, the Indian judiciary plays a key role in protecting the rights of consumers through interpretation and enforcement of various laws, including the Consumer Protection Act, which provides a robust framework for addressing consumer complaints and ensuring that manufacturers and service providers are held accountable for their actions.