Ludhiana: New consumer court timings irk lawyers

It is learnt from the office of consumer court that the change in the office timings have reduced case disposal speed by 25% which is leading to the huge pendency of consumer cases

The District Consumer Redressal Commission wore a deserted look in the morning hours as advocates in the court complex followed the standard Punjab and Haryana high court timings from 9.30 am to 4 pm whereas consumer court is running with the changed timings of the state government from 7.30 am to 2 pm.

Lawyers generally arrive at the court at around 10 am and have time to file and argue cases till 1 pm as courts have lunch break from 1 pm. (Shutterstock)

Chetan Verma, president of the District Bar Association, stated that the association had requested the officials of the high court to look into the matter as till now the situation remains unclear and many lawyers are seeking clarification from the state government on how the new timings will be implemented and how the court will function within the reduced timings.

“Overall, the change in timings has caused a stir among lawyers in Ludhiana, who are now seeking a resolution to ensure that the consumer court can continue to effectively serve its purpose. The court plays a crucial role in protecting consumer rights and any disruptions to its functioning can have severe consequences for consumers,” Verma added

Advocate Vinod Chawla has raised concerns about the changed timings of the consumer court, stating that it has affected the disposal rate of cases. Chawla has urged the state government to address the issue as soon as possible.

According to Chawla, the consumer court now has only three hours to redress the cases, as opposed to the earlier timings. He pointed out that lawyers generally arrive at the court at around 10 am and have time to file and argue cases till 1 pm as courts have lunch break from 1 pm.

Lawyers have expressed concern over the potential impact of this change, as they believe that the judge will leave the court much earlier than the lawyers, leaving many cases unheard. This could lead to delays and longer waiting periods for consumers seeking resolution of their complaints.

However, the Consumer Protection (Consumer Commission Procedure) Regulations, 2020, state that the hearing time for the consumer court should be from 10.30 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4.30 pm, under all circumstances.

It is learnt from the office of consumer court that the change in the office timings have reduced case disposal speed by 25% which is leading to the huge pendency of consumer cases.