Consumer Protection Act 2007
Protections for persons reporting breaches.
87.— (1) A person who, apart from this section, would be so liable shall not be liable in damages in respect of the communication, whether in writing or otherwise, by the person to the Agency of the person’s opinion that—
(a) an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions has been or is being committed, or
(b) any of the relevant provisions that prohibits a person from doing a particular thing or things has not been or is not being complied with,
unless it is proved that the person has not acted reasonably F115[…] in forming that opinion and communicating it to the Agency.
(2) The reference in subsection (1) to liability in damages shall be construed as including a reference to liability to be the subject of an order providing for any other form of relief.
F116[(2A) Subsection (1) does not apply to a communication that is a protected disclosure within the meaning of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.]
(3) An employer shall not penalise an employee for having formed an opinion of the kind referred to in subsection (1) and communicated it, whether in writing or otherwise, to the Agency if the employee has acted reasonably F115[…] in forming that opinion and communicating it to the Agency.
F116[(3A) Subsection (3) does not apply to a communication that is a protected disclosure within the meaning of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.]
(4) Schedule 6 shall have effect for the purposes of subsection (3).
(5) A person who states to the Agency that a person—
(a) has committed or is committing an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions, or
(b) has failed or is failing to comply with any of the relevant statutory provisions,
knowing that statement to be false commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment or on summary conviction, as the case may be, to the fines and penalties provided in Chapter 4 of Part 5.
F116[(5A) Subsection (5) does not apply to the making of a statement that is a protected disclosure within the meaning of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.]
(6) Subsection (1) is in addition to, and not in substitution for, any privilege or defence available in legal proceedings, by virtue of any enactment or rule of law in force immediately before the commencement of this section, in respect of the communication by a person to another (whether that other person is the Agency or not) of an opinion of the kind referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1).
Annotations
Amendments:
F115
Deleted (31.10.2014) by Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 (29/2014), s. 79(a), (b), S.I. No. 366 of 2014.
F116
Inserted (15.07.2014) by Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (14/2014), s. 24 and sch. 4 part 1 item 8, S.I. No. 327 of 2014.
Modifications (not altering text):
C49
Section applied with modifications and references construed (12.07.2020) by European Union (Promoting Fairness and Transparency for Business Users of Online Intermediation Services) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 256 of 2020), reg. 7(b), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
Construction of References
7. ...
(2) Section 87 of the Act of 2007 shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations subject to the modification that references to the relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations.
...
C50
Section applied with modifications and references construed (17.01.2020) by European Union (Cooperation Between National Authorities Responsible for the Enforcement of Consumer Protection Laws) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 14 of 2020), reg. 10(2), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
Construction of references
10. ...
(2) Section 87 of the Act of 2007 shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations subject to the modification that references to the relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations.
C51
Section applied with modifications and references construed (3.12.2018) by European Union (Unjustified Geoblocking of Consumers) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 513 of 2018), reg. 9(2), in effect as per reg. 1(2), (3).
Construction of References
9. ...
(2) Section 87 of the Act of 2007 shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations subject to the modification that references to the relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations.
...
C52
Section applied with modifications and references construed (9.01.2016) by European Union (Online Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 500 of 2015), reg. 8(2), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
Construction of References
8. ...
(2) Section 87 of the Act of 2007 shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations subject to the modification that references to the relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations.
...
C53
Section applied with modifications and references construed (31.07.2015) by European Union (Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 343 of 2015), reg. 22(1).
Construction of References
22. ...
(2) Section 87 of the Act of 2007 shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations subject to the modification that references to the relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as a reference to these Regulations.
...
C54
Certain functions of National Consumer Agency under section extended to Commission for Communications Regulation (13.06.2014) by Communications Regulation Act 2002 (20/2002), s. 10(1A)-(1E), as inserted by European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 484 of 2013), reg. 34(1)(c), in effect as per reg. 1(2); and as amended (17.07.2014) by European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 336 of 2014), reg. 3
Functions of Commission.
10.— ...
[(1A) The functions of the Agency specified in subsection (1B) are (insofar as they relate to the provision of electronic communications networks, electronic communications services, associated facilities and premium rate services) also functions of the Commission, and subsections (1B) to (1E) have effect for the purposes of this subsection.
[(1B) The functions of the Agency referred to in subsection (1A) are the functions of the Agency under:
(a) section 67, section 71, section 73, sections 75 to 77, section 80, sections 83 to 87 and section 90 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007 in relation to the European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 484 of 2013), and
(b) sections 73 and 86 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007 in relation to the European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) Regulations 1995.]
(1C) Subsection (1A) operates to vest in the Commission, concurrently with the vesting in the Agency of those functions by the Consumer Protection Act 2007, the functions specified in subsection (1B).
(1D) Accordingly—
(a) functions so specified are, subject to any relevant co-operation agreement entered into under section 21 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, capable of being performed by either the Agency or the Commission, and
(b) subject to subsection (1E), references to the Agency in the provisions of the Act specified in subsection (1B) are to be read as including references to the Commission and those provisions otherwise apply.
(1E) Where any section of the Consumer Protection Act 2007 specified in subsection (1B) provides for anything to be done in relation to the Agency (whether the giving of notice to it, the submitting of a thing to it or the doing of any other thing) then, if a co-operation agreement entered into under section 21 of that Act so specifies, it is sufficient compliance with the section concerned if the thing is done in relation to the Agency or the Commission as is specified in that agreement.]
C55
Application of section extended (11.04.2009) by European Communities (Prepacked Products) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 566 of 2008), reg. 11, in effect as per reg. 1(2).
11. Section 87 of the Act of 2007 shall apply for the purposes of these Regulations and, accordingly, references in that section to relevant statutory provisions shall be construed as including references to these Regulations.
Editorial Notes:
E85
Redress and appeal procedures for disputes under subs. (3) provided (1.10.2015) by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), ss. 41, 44 and sch. 5 part 1 item 18, sch. 6 part 1 item 24, sch. 6 part 2 item 24, S.I. No. 410 of 2015.
E86
Section included in definitions of “employment enactment” and “relevant enactment” (1.08.2015) by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 2 and sch. 1 part 2 item 9, S.I. No. 338 of 2015, with the following effects:
• Authorised officers or inspectors under employment enactments deemed to be appointed under Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 26(2) and subject to termination under s. 26(4).
• Powers of inspectors for purposes of relevant enactments defined in Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 27.
• Workplace Relations Commission, an inspector or an adjudication officer authorised to disclose employer’s registered number or employee’s PPSN to enable Labour Court to perform functions under relevant enactments by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015) s. 31(5).
• Power of Workplace Relations Commission and official body to disclose information to each other concerning the commission of offence under relevant enactment provided by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 32.
• Power of Workplace Relations Commission and contracting authority to disclose information to each other concerning the commission of offence under employment enactment/ relevant enactment provided by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 33.
• Powers of Minister to prosecute under relevant enactments transferred to Workplace Relations Commission and references construed by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 37.
• Functions of EAT to hear claims under employment enactments transferred to Workplace Relations Commission and references to EAT construed by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015) s. 66(1), (2), not commenced as of date of revision.