Manufacturer v. Consumer: A Critical Analysis of Sri Lankan Product Liability Law in Respect of Electronic and Electrical Products

Abstract

Consumer protection is an area that is being subjected to many recent developments globally. The old notion of caveat emptor has been replaced by the modern concept of consumer protection by recognizing it in statutes, cases, and theories. International forum and States are moving towards providing protection to consumers. The buyers of goods and users of products and services are brought under consumer law, and this includes users of all types of goods including software, hardware, literature, music, photograph, motion picture, game, information, data, gas, water and electricity. In this paper, the writer focuses on liability for defective electrical and electronic products. Although the larger area of law relating to product liability is analysed the researcher’s focus is limited to the above-mentioned products. The applicable statutes in relation to consumer protection in the law of Sri Lanka are compared and contrasted with the statutes of the UK and South Africa. Theories connected to consumer protection have been taken into consideration. This paper suggests that Sri Lanka needs a consolidated statute to safeguard the rights of consumers.