Legal Essay consumer law
Legal Essay – Consumer Law
“Discuss whether the current law adequately protects consumers.”
A consumer can be defined as someone who buys the goods or services purchased for private use or consumption. The effectiveness of the law in protecting consumers has been effective but also non-effective because an assessment of its effectiveness can only be reached by a realisation of the development of consumer law in Australia. The legislation applies legal measures like laws such as the Trade Practices Act 1974 (cth), Consumer Protection Act 1969 (NSW) to help protect consumers. A wide variety of non-legal measures exist which aim to achieve justice for consumers. These include redress and remedies such as self-help and the media; however the legislation is quite ineffective in areas of consumer protection such as occupational licensing and contract rights.
One mechanism that protects consumers is the development of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (cth). These acts ensure the rights of consumers as well as fair trade, competition and accurate information in the marketplace. In the case ACCC v Target Australia Pty Ltd (2001) FCA, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took action against Target for misleading deceptive conducts from their target advertisement. Target was breached under the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) which prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct. The ACCC took target to court and enforced its penalties through the court. The ACCC helped to protect the need of consumers to have honest and non-deceptive advertising. The Court ordered Target to apologise to all consumers who were misled by the company’s deceptive advertising. This shows the effectiveness of the law from the ACCC and the Trade Practices Act 1974 (cth) through criteria of enforcement. It also shows the effectiveness of the law in relation to the protection of individual rights, as Target was required to redress its deceptive conduct so that the right of individuals
“Discuss whether the current law adequately protects consumers.”
A consumer can be defined as someone who buys the goods or services purchased for private use or consumption. The effectiveness of the law in protecting consumers has been effective but also non-effective because an assessment of its effectiveness can only be reached by a realisation of the development of consumer law in Australia. The legislation applies legal measures like laws such as the Trade Practices Act 1974 (cth), Consumer Protection Act 1969 (NSW) to help protect consumers. A wide variety of non-legal measures exist which aim to achieve justice for consumers. These include redress and remedies such as self-help and the media; however the legislation is quite ineffective in areas of consumer protection such as occupational licensing and contract rights.
One mechanism that protects consumers is the development of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (cth). These acts ensure the rights of consumers as well as fair trade, competition and accurate information in the marketplace. In the case ACCC v Target Australia Pty Ltd (2001) FCA, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took action against Target for misleading deceptive conducts from their target advertisement. Target was breached under the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) which prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct. The ACCC took target to court and enforced its penalties through the court. The ACCC helped to protect the need of consumers to have honest and non-deceptive advertising. The Court ordered Target to apologise to all consumers who were misled by the company’s deceptive advertising. This shows the effectiveness of the law from the ACCC and the Trade Practices Act 1974 (cth) through criteria of enforcement. It also shows the effectiveness of the law in relation to the protection of individual rights, as Target was required to redress its deceptive conduct so that the right of individuals