Abstract:
The age old doctrine of 'caveat emptor’ and unregulated
laisser-faire system are now unacceptable. Today, a large
number of countries all over the world have antitrust
legislation and other laws as well as the groups of
consumerists protecting the consumers to ensure that the
trading standards are improved and that the restrictive and
unfair trade practices are controlled.
Sri Lanka being a developing country, is eager to promote
industrial development with social justice. The monopolistic
restrictive and unfair trade practices adversely affect the
free trade and commerce and harm the consumers. The attack on
monopolistic and restrictive trade practices began in Sri-
Lanka, 1939 with passing of Price Control Ordinance. After
this Ordinance various Acts and Ordinance passed for the
protection of consumers were relatively few. Thus , for the
first time, in the history of the socio-economic legislation
of this country, a comprehensive legislation, namely, the
Consumer Protection Act, 1979, was passed to provide for
better protection of interests of consumers . The main thrust
of this provided for speedy redress and compensation to
consumers. The Act has given a new dimension in the field of
consumer protection in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Government had
appointed by name or by office, a Commissioner of Internal
Trade for the purpose of this Act. This Act has an Amendment
by the Consumer Protection Amendment Act No. 3 of 1980, and Consumer Protection Societies are governed by this Amendment.
These Consumer Protection Societies can pool the resources and
ideas of membership and can speak with authority on their
behalf. Such a strong, active and responsible consumer
movement can amplify the voices of consumers heard both by the
government and business sectors.
How-ever, the subject has not received much attention from
academicians. There is a dearth of genuine literature on the
subject. There is not even a single treatise which deals with
the subject in a comprehens ive manner in Sri Lanka . But the
United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection gives the
greater assistance by providing a contemporaneous theory on
the subject .
The present study is a modest attempt in the above direction.
The title of this research is, " The role of Consumer
Protection Societies in Sri Lanka” , has purposely been
adopted to indicate that, it covers not only the
constitutional activities of consumer Protection societies,
but also encompasses the other activities of the Consumer
Protection Societies that collaborate with other relevant
consumer protection organizations. It is argued,that the
activities practiced by the Consumer Protection Societies in
Sri Lanka have yet to reach there full potential.