Q.Explain the redressal mechanism available to consumer under Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

To give consumers simple, speedy and inexpensive justice, the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 created a three-tier redressal system — the District Forum, the State Commission and the National Commission — each with its own money-value jurisdiction and with the right to appeal from the lower level to the higher one, and finally to the Supreme Court. ## Need for the mechanism Ordinary civil courts are slow and costly, so the Act set up special quasi-judicial agencies at three levels to decide consumer complaints quickly and at low cost. A consumer, a registered consumers' association, the Central or State Government, or several consumers with a common interest may file a complaint. ## The three-tier redressal machinery (1986 Act) 1. District Forum (district level) - Set up by the State Government in each district; headed by a person qualified to be a District Judge plus two members (one a woman). - Entertains complaints where the value of goods/services and compensation claimed is up to the prescribed limit (originally up to Rs. 20 lakh). - After giving both sides a hearing it can order removal of defects, replacement, refund of price, or payment of compensation. - An aggrieved party may appeal to the State Commission within the prescribed time. 2. State Commission (state level) - Set up by the State Government; headed by a person who is or has been a High Court Judge, with members. - Hears complaints above the District Forum limit and up to the higher prescribed limit (originally above Rs. 20 lakh and up to Rs. 1 crore), and also hears appeals against orders of District Forums in the state. - Its orders can be appealed against before the National Commission. 3. National Commission (national level) - Set up by the Central Government; headed by a person who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court. - Hears complaints above the State Commission limit (originally above Rs. 1 crore) and appeals against the orders of State Commissions. - An appeal against its order lies to the Supreme Court of India. ## Reliefs available The agencies may order: removal of defects in goods, replacement with new goods, refund of the price paid, payment of compensation for loss or injury, discontinuance of unfair or restrictive trade practices, withdrawal of hazardous goods, and payment of adequate costs. This three-tier structure — District Forum, State Commission, National Commission — is exactly what the AP Intermediate 2nd-year Commerce previous-year question on the 1986 Act asks for. (Under the later Consumer Protection Act, 2019 the District Forum is renamed the District Commission and the monetary li …