Supreme Court Upholds Exclusion of Advocates from Consumer Protection Act
Supreme Court Upholds Exclusion of Advocates from Consumer Protection Act In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India declared that complaints alleging "deficiency in service" against advocates would not be maintainable under the Consumer Protection Act (CP Act). Unique Nature of Legal Profession Recognized The court emphasized the unique nature of the legal profession, stating that it cannot be equated with other professions and therefore falls outside the purview of consumer protection laws. Bench Sets Aside National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Decision The bench of justices, Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal, set aside a decision by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of legal services and the direct control exercised by clients over advocates' services. CP Act Intended to Protect Consumers from Unfair Practices The court's ruling emphasized that the CP Act, enacted to protect consumer...