Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd Vs. Consumer Affairs Authority and others – CA /WRIT/APP/NO. 326/2006-2006

In Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd v. Consumer Affairs Authority and Others, the Court addressed the question of whether the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) possessed jurisdiction under Section 13(1)(b) of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act to entertain a complaint regarding an impurity (cockroach) found in a bottle of Lion Club Soda, or whether the matter properly fell within Section 32(3) which involves contractual disputes with a limitation period. It was determined that Section 13(1)(b) was applicable, as the complaint arose from a statutory implied warranty and not from a direct contract between the manufacturer and consumer. The holding further clarified that compensation awarded by the Authority must be strictly compensatory for proven loss, and not punitive, unless justified by