After section 47A of the 1998 Act (which is inserted by section 18), there is inserted—
(1)A specified body may (subject to the provisions of this Act and Tribunal rules) bring proceedings before the Tribunal which comprise consumer claims made or continued on behalf of at least two individuals.
(2)In this section “consumer claim” means a claim to which section 47A applies which an individual has in respect of an infringement affecting (directly or indirectly) goods or services to which subsection (7) applies.
(3)A consumer claim may be included in proceedings under this section if it is—
(a)a claim made in the proceedings on behalf of the individual concerned by the specified body; or
(b)a claim made by the individual concerned under section 47A which is continued in the proceedings on his behalf by the specified body;
and such a claim may only be made or continued in the proceedings with the consent of the individual concerned.
(4)The consumer claims included in proceedings under this section must all relate to the same infringement.
(5)The provisions of section 47A(5) to (10) apply to a consumer claim included in proceedings under this section as they apply to a claim made in proceedings under that section.
(6)Any damages or other sum (not being costs or expenses) awarded in respect of a consumer claim included in proceedings under this section must be awarded to the individual concerned; but the Tribunal may, with the consent of the specified body and the individual, order that the sum awarded must be paid to the specified body (acting on behalf of the individual).
(7)This subsection applies to goods or services which—
(a)the individual received, or sought to receive, otherwise than in the course of a business carried on by him (notwithstanding that he received or sought to receive them with a view to carrying on a business); and
(b)were, or would have been, supplied to the individual (in the case of goods whether by way of sale or otherwise) in the course of a business carried on by the person who supplied or would have supplied them.
(8)A business includes—
(a)a professional practice;
(b)any other undertaking carried on for gain or reward;
(c)any undertaking in the course of which goods or services are supplied otherwise than free of charge.
(9)“Specified” means specified in an order made by the Secretary of State, in accordance with criteria to be published by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this section.
(10)An application by a body to be specified in an order under this section is to be made in a form approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose.”
Textual Amendments applied to the whole legislation
F1Act: for the words "solicitor of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland" wherever they occur there is substituted (prosp.) the words "solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland" by virtue of Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148(1), Sch. 11 para. 5 [Editorial Note: this amendment will be carried through into the text of the Act at the same time as any other effects on the Act for the year in which the relevant commencement order (or first such order) is made]