27 October, 2015
Baiba Vitolina, the Director of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre, informed the Council for the Judiciary about the intention to involve former judges in work of the committee on resolving of consumer disputes.
Foundation of such independent, collegiate institution entitled to adopt decision, which will operate under the Consumer Rights Protection Centre, is envisaged by the Law on Persons Resolving Consumer Out-of-court Disputes adopted by the Saeima (Parliament) on 18 June. The law establishes new mechanism of resolution of consumer disputes.
Previously, individual consumer disputes were reviewed by the Consumer Rights Protection Centre under administrative procedure. In accordance with new procedure, the centre does not adopt binding decisions anymore, when resolving individual consumer disputes and those must be resolved under civil law procedure.
To provide an opportunity to consumers to resolve disputes in out-of-court proceedings, the law stipulates to establish institutions dealing with resolving of out-of-court consumer disputes. One of them - the committee on resolving of consumer disputes – will operate under auspices of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre. The committee will be composed of the Chair and members of the committee – representatives of consumer rights protection associations and associations of businessmen. Grounding on experience of other countries, Consumer Rights Protection Centre wants to invite respected lawyers – former judges – to manage these committees.
The Council for the Judiciary supported the proposal. The Council appreciates both the fact that such institution could unburden work of courts, and the fact that experience and intellectual potential of former judges is used in such way.
Information prepared by
Rasma Zvejniece, the Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court
E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: 67020396, 28652211