• 07 Mar, 2026
Supreme Court Issues Notice to Union Government and NMC on Plea to Exclude Doctors from Consumer Protection Act: A Turning Point for Medical Litigation in India

Supreme Court Issues Notice to Union Government and NMC on Plea to Exclude Doctors from Consumer Protection Act: A Turning Point for Medical Litigation in India

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Union Government and National Medical Commission on a plea seeking removal of doctors from the Consumer Protection Act 2019. The petition challenges the inclusion of medical services under consumer law and raises concerns about defensive medicine, rising litigation and the doctor patient relationship.

Why Doctors Came Under Consumer Law in India: Indian Medical Association vs V.P. Shantha (1995)

Indian Medical Association vs V.P. Shantha (1995) is the landmark Supreme Court judgment that brought paid medical services under the Consumer Protection Act. This decision made patients consumers and doctors and hospitals service providers, allowing medical negligence cases to be filed in consumer courts and permanently changing medico legal practice in India.

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