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Parliament urged to give consumers new legal protection |
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Tuesday, 23 October 2007 |
The Scottish Consumer Council is urging Scottish parliamentarians to back a move that will dramatically increase the number of people who can use the small claims system to get redress through the courts.
The Scottish Consumer Council (SCC) is urging Scottish parliamentarians to back a move that will dramatically increase the number of people who can use the small claims system to get redress through the courts.
The Council has welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to increase fourfold the limit for small claims cases – from £750 to £3,000 – which will be presented by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to the Parliament’s Justice Committee this morning.
The order will also exclude personal injury actions from small claims procedure, and amend limits on the amount of expenses which may be awarded in claims of over £200.
The SCC believes that the draft Small Claims (Scotland) Amendment Order 2007 is a decisive step towards matching the law with people’s needs.
Martyn Evans, director of the Scottish Consumer Council, said: “We have been lobbying hard for a realistic small claims limit for a number of years. We are very pleased that, finally, we are close to seeing consumers in Scotland being given the ability to seek legal redress against businesses that don’t comply with the law through the small claims procedure, without having to having to choose between using a more complicated, expensive and formal court process or settling for much less than they are owed.
“Every day people in Scotland buy computers, holidays, furniture and other items that cost much more than £750. This Order gives them better protection and is an important incentive to businesses to ensure they trade fairly.”
If the Parliament passes the Order then it is expected to come into force in January 2008.
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