(1) A person may appear himself or may authorize any of his employees to appear before the Commission and to act and plead on his behalf.
(2) A person may authorize an advocate or a member of any statutory professional body holding a certificate of practice as the Commission may from time to time direct to represent him and to act and plead on his behalf before the Commission.
(3) The Commission may from time to time decide the terms and conditions subject to which a person may authorize any other person to represent him and to act and plead on his behalf and the type of authorization to be provided to the Commission for the purpose.
(4) Notwithstanding the above, the Commission may allow any consumer group or association or any persons duly authorized by such consumer group or association to appear in any proceeding before the Commission or in any meeting before the initiation of the proceedings on such terms and conditions, in regard to the nature and extent of participation as the Commission may consider it to be appropriate.
(5) It shall be open to the Commission for the sake of timely completion of proceedings to direct grouping of associations/groups/fora referred to above for submission of respective petitions/affidavits collectively.
(6) The Commission may as and when considered appropriate notify a procedure for recognition of associations, groups, fora or bodies corporate as registered consumer association for purposes of representation before the Commission.
(7) The Chairperson may appoint or authorise any officer or any other person to represent the interest of consumers, and may direct payment to the officer or person appointed or so authorised to represent the Consumer’s interest such fees, costs and expenses by such of the parties to the proceedings as the Chairperson may consider appropriate.