The Colombian Congress has enacted a law that allows the use of third-party claims (impleader) in consumer protection cases handled by judges of the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), but only when the defendant is a company in the tourism sector.
Third-party claims are a legal mechanism through which a defendant in a lawsuit brings in a third party to assume full or partial liability for a potential ruling against them.
This decision was made to address conflicting interpretations between the SIC and other courts, including Superior Tribunals and even the Supreme Court of Justice. The SIC had previously argued that applying this mechanism meant resolving disputes between businesses, which exceeded its jurisdiction.
However, the issue remains unresolved, as the new measure is restricted to a single sector. This limitation could lead to continued legal disputes in the future when cases involve companies from other industries.
