Kerala adds police officer to lawyer-police dispute committees after Supreme Court directive

The Kerala Advocate General has recommended adding one more police officer to the district-level grievance redressal committees that will handle disputes between lawyers and police personnel, following a recent Supreme Court directive.

K. Jaju Babu, Advocate General of Keralam, prepared a note proposing the change and has approached the state government to issue an office memorandum aligned with the apex court's directions.

Supreme Court Modifies Original Structure

The committees were originally conceived by the previous Left Democratic Front government after an unruly incident on Kollam district court premises in 2022. The Kerala High Court had fixed the constitution of both State and district-level committees in response to a petition.

However, the Supreme Court intervened on an appeal filed by the Kerala Police Officers Association, mandating the inclusion of an additional police officer at the district level.

Under the initial proposal, the State-level committee was to comprise the Advocate General, Director General of Police, three Bar members nominated by the High Court Bar Association including its president, the Superintendent of Police of the concerned area, and the president of the Bar Association to which the complainant advocate belongs.

The district committees were to include the Principal District Judge, District Police Chief, District Government Pleader, the president of the relevant Bar Association, and one Bar member.

Safeguards for Police Officers

The Supreme Court has imposed two key conditions on the functioning of these committees. First, the committees cannot be used to dilute the powers, duties or responsibilities of authorised police officers in maintaining law and order or enforcing the rule of law.

Second, neither the state nor district-level committees may recommend punitive action against a police officer without providing the concerned officer an adequate opportunity to be heard.

The Supreme Court's suggestion for the additional police representation was made in tune with its recent order.

Source: The Hindu