Police Reforms And Criminal Justice Administration In India: A Socio-Legal Analysis
- IJLLR Journal
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Sevanth S & Dr. Sana Humd, School of Legal Studies, Reva University
ABSTRACT
Policing in India continues to operate within an institutional framework deeply shaped by its colonial origins, despite the constitutional commitment to equality, dignity, and the rule of law. This article undertakes a socio-legal analysis of police reforms in India, with a particular focus on their impact on criminal justice administration and the protection of constitutional rights. It employs a primarily doctrinal methodology drawing on constitutional provisions, statutory schemes, judicial decisions, and committee reports supplemented by comparative insights from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany.
The article first traces the historical evolution and organisational structure of the Indian police, demonstrating how the logic of control embedded in the Police Act, 1861 continues to influence contemporary policing practices. It then analyses key socio-legal concerns including custodial violence, arbitrary arrests, political interference, and structural bias against marginalised communities through the lens of Supreme Court decisions such as D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal and Prakash Singh v. Union of India, as well as empirical patterns reflected in National Crime Records Bureau data. The discussion further evaluates the recommendations of major commissions, alongside the recent criminal-law reforms introduced through the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
The central finding is that there remains a persistent gap between formal legal mandates and their implementation on the ground, manifested in low conviction rates, continuing incidents of custodial deaths, and limited compliance with judicially mandated structural reforms.
Comparative experience suggests that meaningful police reform requires a calibrated combination of operational autonomy, robust external accountability, community-oriented policing, and technological modernisation. The article argues that such reforms are not merely matters of administrative efficiency, but constitutional imperatives necessary to align policing practices with fundamental rights and democratic values in India.
Keywords: Police Reforms; Criminal Justice Administration; Custodial Violence; Accountability; Rule of Law; Human Rights; Socio-Legal Analysis; India.
