Consumer courts cease operations

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has formally abolished all 17 district consumer courts that were established to safeguard consumer rights across the province.

Judges serving in these courts have been reassigned and instructed to report to the Lahore High Court (LHC), with a formal notification of their transfers already issued.

Effective Tuesday, July 29, all special consumer courts throughout the province have ceased operations. Permanent staff are being transferred to other courts and government departments, while all contractual and temporary personnel have been terminated.

Province-wide, a total of 1,682 cases were under adjudication in these courts. The Special Consumer Court in Rawalpindi alone had 97 pending cases.

According to court officials in Rawalpindi, all active cases are being transferred to the office of the District and Sessions Judge. A comprehensive list, along with case files, is being prepared and will be submitted within the next two days.

Following this, the District and Sessions Judge will reassign the cases to the relevant Additional Sessions Judges for further legal proceedings.

Consumer rights protection courts were established across Punjab in 2006, following the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act in 2005. However, in the new fiscal year 2025-26 budget, an amendment was introduced, and a revised act was passed, officially abolishing the status of special consumer courts.

Under the new amendment, consumer rights cases will now once again be heard by Additional District and Sessions Judges as part of the regular judicial system, as was the practice prior to the establishment of these special courts.