In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of sections 34, 47, and 58 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which determine pecuniary jurisdiction of consumer commissions based on the value of consideration paid for goods and services, rather than the compensation claimed. The petitioner challenged this as violating Article 14 (equality). The Court held that consideration is an essential element in contract formation and consumer definition, making value of consideration a valid and reasonable basis for classification with rational nexus to creating an efficient hierarchical judicial remedy structure. The Court rejected claims of loss of remedy, emphasizing that compensation claims remain unrestricted and subject to judicial assessment. The judgment also directed the Central Consumer Protection Council and Authority to exercise their statutory duties effectively to achieve the Act's protective objectives, establishing a doctrine that judicial review should examine both legality and institutional performance efficiency.
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