The effects of the Consumer Affairs (Amendment) Act (XXVI of 2000) on some aspects of the law of obligations

Abstract

In the light of Malta's possible accession into the European Union in the near future, a number of directives have been adopted into the Maltese legal system as part of the process of harmonizing Malta's laws with those existing in the Union. The European Union consumer policy targets three main objectives, namely; a more powerful voice for the consumer throughout the European Union, a high level of health and safety, and, full respect of the economic interests of European consumers. Act XXVI of 2000 transposes certain directives dealing with consumer protection, into our domestic body of law bringing Maltese consumer law more in line with that of the European Union while at the same time amending certain existing laws, particularly, the law of obligations. The aim of this thesis is to highlight the developments in consumer protection law and to analyze its effects on the more general law of obligations. It also evidences those areas where consumer protection law creates new inroads into the law of obligations which previously did not exist. Finally, the thesis also contains a criticism of the existing laws as well as recommendations and proposals for future reforms.