Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has underscored the need for a citizen-centric approach to policing, stating that effective law enforcement in a constitutional democracy must be anchored in professional duty, responsible discretion and public confidence.
The CJI was speaking at the launch of former IPS officer Dr O.P. Mishra’s book, Beyond the Uniform: Duty, Discretion & Public Trust, at the India International Centre on Tuesday. Describing the author as an officer distinguished by integrity and commitment to public service, Justice Surya Kant said the book offers an insider’s account of more than three decades of policing and examines the institutional responsibilities that accompany the police uniform.
Addressing serving and retired police officers, members of the legal fraternity and students, the Chief Justice said the three concepts forming the title of the book are not merely thematic ideas but constitute interconnected components of effective policing.
He observed that the legitimacy of police institutions is ultimately tested through the manner in which officers discharge their routine responsibilities. High-profile investigations or operations, he said, cannot by themselves define the quality of policing, since the everyday interaction between an officer and an ordinary citizen is equally significant.
Justice Surya Kant stressed that police powers must always be exercised within the constitutional framework and in furtherance of the purpose for which such authority has been conferred.
In a country governed by the Rule of Law, he said, the authority to investigate offences, make arrests and maintain public order carries with it a corresponding obligation of accountability. The police, he emphasised, exercise these powers not as a personal privilege but as a public trust vested in them on behalf of citizens.
Turning to the question of discretion, the CJI noted that statutory provisions necessarily operate at a level of generality, whereas policing frequently involves circumstances that cannot be anticipated exhaustively by legislation.
He referred to situations involving vulnerable victims, distressed families and individuals approaching a police station under circumstances of fear or uncertainty. Such situations, he said, require officers to apply judgment within the boundaries of law while remaining conscious of the human consequences of their decisions.
According to the Chief Justice, discretion therefore represents the point at which legal authority encounters individual circumstances and requires the officer to exercise judgment informed by both legality and conscience.
Justice Surya Kant placed particular emphasis on the question of public trust, observing that confidence in the police cannot be secured merely through institutional publicity or public-relations exercises. It is built incrementally through the conduct of individual officers and through citizens’ direct experiences with the police system.
He said a citizen who has confidence in the police is more likely to approach the authorities at an early stage, report wrongdoing and cooperate with an investigation. Conversely, experiences of indifference or lack of responsiveness can weaken that institutional confidence.
The CJI described trust as something that develops through repeated, ordinary encounters between citizens and the police at police stations, during investigations and in the course of seeking assistance.
At the same time, Justice Surya Kant cautioned against viewing citizen-friendly policing as an obligation imposed solely upon police personnel. Institutional support for the force, he said, is equally necessary.
He identified professional training, contemporary investigative capabilities, adequate working conditions and appropriate attention to the physical and emotional well-being of police personnel as essential components of meaningful police reform.
The Chief Justice also congratulated Dr Mishra and publisher Niyogi Books on the publication, observing that the book could contribute to a wider understanding of both the institutional responsibilities and the professional dignity associated with police service.
Concluding his address, Justice Surya Kant said the police uniform should not create a distance between the State and the citizen. Rather, when duty, discretion and public trust operate together, the uniform should represent protection, assistance and reassurance to the public.
The address placed the emphasis of police reform not merely on structural or technological changes, but on the everyday exercise of public authority and the manner in which citizens experience the criminal justice system at the point of first contact.
The post Police uniform must stand beside citizens, not apart from them: CJI Surya Kant on duty, discretion and public trust appeared first on India Legal.