Types of Consumer Courts in India

Table Of Content

• Why is the Consumer Court important?
• How many Types of Consumer Courts are there in India?
  • District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum
  • State Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum
  • National Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum
• The functions and powers of the Consumer forum
• What are the Consumer forum limits?
• What is the limitation period of the Consumer forum?
• Conclusion

In India, the Consumer Court serves a specific role. It handles complaints, disagreements, and issues pertaining to Consumers in the main. Hearings are held by the court to decide these disagreements.

Upon filing a case, customers’ main goal is to show the court that they have proof of exploitation, in the form of bills or purchase notes. Courts rarely decide in favor of the plaintiff in situations when this kind of evidence is not produced. The Court primarily bases its decision on any (if any) infringement of Consumer rights. The purpose of establishing a distinct venue for Consumer complaints is to guarantee prompt resolution of those conflicts and minimize associated costs. We will be discussing the Types of Consumer Court in India and how they resolve the complaints of the aggrieved Consumer.

NOTE: The Indian parliament passed the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (COPRA), which became operative in December of that same year. The Act was created to safeguard the interests of Consumers and to create state agencies responsible for handling Consumer complaints and related issues.

Why is the Consumer Court important?

The Consumer Court is built to seek justice. It is important for the public. The primary purpose of the Consumer Court is to provide Consumers with recourse and to uphold the seller’s commitment to treating customers fairly and respecting their rights. It is inexpensive to file a case in Consumer court since plaintiffs can represent themselves without an attorney and only need to pay a small charge of 100 Indian rupees and so.

How many Types of Consumer Courts are there in India?

The different Type on Consumer Complaint Forum in India are discussed below which are as follows:

District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum

Every district forum has a who is well qualified to be the District Court Judge or we say President. There would be two other members whom we can consider as District Court Lawyers, one male, and female, who have adequate knowledge on the subjects of economics, law, commerce, accountancy, industry, and public affairs, so it is easy for them to solve the problem for the public in no time.

State Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum

In the case of the State Forum, the judge is of the High Court who is appointed by the State Government of India. Just like District Court here also two other members are present with full knowledge in the field of economics, public affairs etc to solve the query and grievances of the Consumers. Both the members are of different genders one male and the other female. With the caveat that the State Government must approve each appointment made under this clause based on the advice of a selection committee made up of the following members:

1. The Chairman of the State Commission;
2. The Secretary of the State’s Law Department; and 
3. The Secretary in charge of the State’s Department responsible for Consumer affairs. 

National Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum

In National Forum, it is one of the Types of Consumer Courts class where the Central government appoints the Supreme Court Judge to become the President of National Consumer Court. Here unlike District and State, four members are appointed to provide justice to the aggrieved Consumers. They should also excel in the subjects of economics, law, commerce, public affairs, etc. With the caveat that the Central Government must approve each appointment made under this section based on the advice of a selection committee made up of the following members: A member of the Department of Legal Affairs in the Government of India; a member of the Department of Consumer Affairs in the Government of India; and a member of the Chief Justice of India’s nomination committee are all candidates for the position of Supreme Court judge.

What are the functions and powers of the Consumer forum?

When we discuss the Consumers Rights then there are more than 70% of the public who are oblivious of their rights and are tricked by fraudulent product companies. So here in this section we will be discussing the powers and functions of the Consumer Forums have and how they can help the Consumers:

FUNCTIONS OF Consumer COURT CLASS:

• They investigate the case of the aggrieved Consumers upon the complaint they have filed regarding the so and so company service or product.
• conduct an independent investigation.
• Encourage the growth of companies established to safeguard Consumers.
• Gather, examine, and disseminate data about any industry or enterprise.
• Inform customers of their rights
• Settlement of issues between suppliers and customers
• Perform whatever duties that the minister may from time to time assign.

THE POWER HOLD BY THE Consumer COURT CLASS:

The Consumer commission is able to take any action that it determines is required in order for it to fulfill and carry out its duties. It may act in any way it sees fit or advantageous for the appropriate performance of its tasks, or as an incidental part of them, and it may do so independently or in cooperation with other bodies or individuals.

What are the Consumer forum limits?

According to the Consumer Protection Act of 1986, a consumer is eligible to file a complaint in the forums are.

1. In District Consumer Court: the value should be more than 20 lakhs of claim.
2. State Consumer Forum: The claim value should be more than 20 lakhs and in between 1 crore.
3. National Consumer Forum: The claim value should be more than 1 core.

What is the limitation period of the Consumer forum?

The limitation period of Consumer forum is of 2 years approx. The complaint should be filed within these 2 years. The more time the Consumer will take to file the more difficult it will be for them to get justice because at the end the only question which will be asked from them would be ‘Why did you take so long in filing the case?’ then it would be hard to explain without proof in front of the We do not hesitate to declare that this approach is as fallacious as it is popular.

Conclusion

These various Types of Consumer Court uphold the consumer rights and offer essential avenues for resolving grievances. Whether it is district court or national commision, these specialized institutions ensure justice to the customer and accountability of businesses. Ultimately, awareness and engagement with consumer court plays a vital role in empowering consumer rights.