Liability for Violations of Legislation in the Field of Consumer Rights Protection

The study examines the mechanisms of accountability for breaches of consumer rights legislation in the Russian Federation, emphasizing the interplay between private and public law frameworks. The relevance of safeguarding citizens against infringements in the consumption of goods and services stems from the substantial role of consumer demand in economic development, coupled with the high social significance attributed to consumer rights protection for public health and safety. The aim of the study is to examine the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of consumer rights protection within the framework of both private and public law. The subject of the study is responsibility for violation of consumer rights. In the work, legislative acts in this area of law are reviewed, along with pertinent publications and examples of civil and criminal court cases. As a result, it is established that sellers of goods or services may be held liable under civil, administrative, or criminal law. The type of liability depends on the degree of public danger posed by the identified violation. Administrative sanctions on violators of consumer rights legislation are imposed by Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing). Civil and criminal liability may be applied to individuals or organizations by court decision. It is emphasized that the legislation faces certain challenges, notably the absence of a statutory definition for the concept of “inadequate quality”. As a recommendation, a proposal has been put forward to introduce such a definition into the current legislation.