Can NCDRC Technical Member Sitting Singly Preside Over Bench? Supreme Court To Consider

The Supreme Court has stayed an order passed by a Technical Member sitting singly in a consumer case. The case involved a dispute regarding the competency of a single-member bench to decide on matters under the Consumer Protection Act. The bench of the Supreme Court ruled that such decisions should ideally be passed by a bench comprising both technical and judicial members, rather than a single member with only technical expertise. This move upholds the principle of maintaining proper judicial scrutiny and procedural fairness in consumer protection matters. The court's intervention emphasizes the importance of adhering to due process when making decisions that affect the rights of consumers.