Q.Why is it said that a consumer does not need a lawyer to file a complaint before these redressal bodies?

One of the central design goals of this machinery was to make justice for consumers genuinely accessible, not dependent on being able to afford legal representation. …

The regular civil court process in India is often technical, slow, and dependent on legal drafting skill, which can discourage an ordinary consumer with a small claim from pursuing justice at all. The consumer redressal machinery was designed specifically to avoid this barrier. The complaint can be a straightforward written statement of facts, supported by simple documents such as a bill, rather than a formally drafted legal plaint. The fee for filing is nil or nominal, and the hearing itself is conducted in a relatively informal, accessible manner compared to a full civil trial. As a result, a consumer is free to appear in person and present their own case, and engaging a lawyer is entirely optional rather than a legal requirement. This design directly supports the objective of making c …

Do not confuse 'lawyer not required' with 'lawyer not allowed' — a consumer may still choose to engage a lawyer if they w …