A big part of CHRI’s work is analysing draft police legislation, or proposed legislation relating to police oversight bodies to point out gaps and suggest new provisions. Since the Supreme Court judgment in 2006, many states have passed new Police Acts. We firmly believe that if policing is to be done by consent, the public must be consulted in the drafting of laws and policies. We constantly advocate with state governments and legislatures to push for public consultation in the drafting of police laws. With the help of media and civil society partnerships, we have had some success in stalling draft Police Bills being passed in the absence of consultation.  CHRI has critiqued draft Police Bills, or Ordinances in some cases, in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, and Odisha. We have campaigned actively on public consultation with civil society and other partners on the ground in Tamil Nadu, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir and Odisha. 

Model Police Act 2006 and 2013