Consumer Protection Act 2007

Consumer's right of action for damages.

74.— (1) In this section, “prohibited act or practice” does not include—

(a) a misleading commercial practice described in section 45 , or

(b) a contravention of section 65 (1) (respecting pyramid promotional schemes).

(2) A consumer who is aggrieved by a prohibited act or practice shall have a right of action for relief by way of damages, including exemplary damages, against the following:

(a) any trader who commits or engages in the prohibited act or practice;

(b) if such trader is a body corporate, any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the trader, or a person who purported to act in any such capacity, who authorised or consented to the doing of the act or the engaging in of the practice.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), an action under this section may be brought in the District Court, the Circuit Court or the High Court and such a court may, in that action, award such damages as the court considers appropriate, including exemplary damages.

(4) If the action is brought in the District Court or the Circuit Court, any relief by way of damages, including exemplary damages, shall not, except by consent of the necessary parties in such form as may be provided for by rules of court, be in excess of the limit of jurisdiction of the District Court or the Circuit Court, as the case may be, in an action founded on tort.

(5) Where in an action under this section it is proved that the act or practice complained of was done or engaged in by a body corporate it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that each (if any) director of the body and person employed by it whose duties included making decisions that, to a significant extent, could have affected the management of the body, and any other person who purported to act in any such capacity at the material time, consented to the doing of that act or the engaging in of that practice.