Sunday, July 15, 2018

Power to citizen to enforce certain acts

In British times, officers/inspectors were British/paid by British and citizens were Indians. The purpose was to rule. So in any law, the enforcement powers were with the government Inspectors/officers/subordinate staff. They were assumed to be good and citizens bad. This was Inspector Raj.

But even 70 years after freedom, why do we make acts in the same way? If the purpose of any act is predominantly the benefit of all citizens and to discourage a minority of irresponsible ones from wrong behaviour, why not empower fellow law abiding citizens to partially enforce the law.  

Substatntial powers may be misused by the citizens also. But the power to point out, power to take pictures and power to report the wrong behaviour/crime can be given to citizens for acts like ban on polythene, gutkha, pan masala, liquor, speeding, drunken driving.

Even in CrPC, there is a section which empowers a citizen to make an arrest in certain cases.

Without citizen being officialy empowered, the above noted actions would amount to intrusion into privacy of others. But right of privacy should be available to be enjoyed only by law abiding citizens not law violators.

No comments:

Post a Comment