Supreme Court Orders Report on Consumer Commission Case Backlogs

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed serious concern on Thursday regarding a quality crisis and mounting case arrears within India's consumer redressal system. During a suo motu proceeding concerning the pay and allowances of commission members, the Chief Justice questioned the accountability of retired judges appointed to these bodies, warning that consumer commissions must not become "rehabilitation centres for retired judges."

Reviewing a report of a case pending since 2019 that was listed only once in 2022, the Chief Justice stated that prolonged delays have defeated the purpose of providing speedy and affordable justice. While acknowledging that a lack of infrastructure and support staff contributes to these delays, he questioned the efficiency of the special expert forums constituted for consumer redressal.

The Supreme Court of India ordered the President of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to submit a comprehensive report within two weeks detailing total pendency, commission strength, average disposal rates, and estimated timelines for clearing backlogs. Additionally, the court required State Consumer Commissions and State Consumer Affairs Departments to provide year-wise pendency data. State Consumer Commission Presidents must also evaluate the performance of District Consumer Commissions over the last three years to identify systemic bottlenecks. The court emphasized that central and state governments must prioritize filling vacancies and strengthening institutional capacity.