When can a consumer make an appeal in the Supreme Court under 'The Consumer Protection Act, 1986?'
Answers
1) An appeal can be preferred against the order of the district forum to the state commission; from the state commission to the national commission and from the national commission to the Supreme Court. The CPA mentions that the appeals should be filed within 30 days of the date of the order. In my view, the correct interpretation of this is within 30 days of the communication of the order because several days may pass between the passing of the order and its actual receipt. For every order to be effective, it has to be communicated. The date on which the order of the district forum/state commission/national commission has been communicated should be noted by the person who receives it.
2) An appeal may be entertained after the expiry of the period of 30 days if the appellant shows that there was sufficient cause for the delay in the filing of the appeal. In such cases, an application for the condonation of delay must be made along with the appeal and supported by an affidavit setting out reasons for the delay and accompanied by necessary evidence.