In the Q3 2013 issue of our regulatory investigations and class actions newsletter, Stephen Ridgeway and Kylie Sturtz comment on the increased potential for consumer protection class actions in Australia, following on from the ACCC’s enforcement actions for breaches of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
The ACL, introduced as a part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (the Act) in 2011, now provides for the imposition of civil pecuniary penalties for contraventions of certain provisions of that law. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is clearly focussing on these penalties as its principal remedy in consumer matters and appears to be showing less interest in administrative settlements and seeking restitution for consumers impacted by breaches.
Stephen and Kylie’s article examines how these developments may increase the likelihood of follow-on representative actions in consumer matters. Read the full article here.
Photo credit: National Museum of Denmark / Foter
