The Australian Consumer Law - is it really a new era of consumer protection?

Consumer protection was enshrined in the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth). While the aim of competition law is to promote vigorous competition between suppliers to increase choice and lower prices for consumers, the aim of consumer law is to protect consumers by arming them with information and prohibiting certain practices. After many years of focus on competition law reform, the new Australian Consumer Law puts the focus back on consumer protection. This article will look in detail at the reforms and assess whether they strike an appropriate balance between consumer protection and business freedom.