Supreme Court Amends Kerala HC Guidelines, Allows Arrests Within Court Premises

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has amended the guidelines issued by the Kerala High Court regarding arrests within court premises. The ruling allows the police to arrest individuals inside court compounds in certain serious situations.

According to the amended guidelines, police officers can now make arrests within court premises if a cognizable offence is committed in front of them. They may also intervene when immediate arrest is necessary after the occurence of an offence or when there is reason to believe that an accused or suspected person is hiding within the court premises.

The Supreme Court issued the order while considering an appeal filed by the Kerala Police Officers Association against an interim order of the Kerala High Court. The High Court had earlier issued guidelines on August 19, 2025, based on a letter from the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association, suggesting that police should not make arrests within court premises. Police officers had argued that such restrictions would hinder their ability to perform law enforcement duties.

The Supreme Court observed that the High Court’s interim order limited police's powers in specific circumstances and could create obstacles in maintaining law and order. The apex court therefore clarified that in serious situations, police officers can carry out arrests without prior permission.

The court also directed that a police officer be included in the Permanent Committee proposed to resolve disputes between police and lawyers. Earlier, the committee was planned with only representatives from the legal community. The Kerala Police Officers's Association argued that such a structure might not ensure fairness and could interfere with investigations conducted under the law.

Accepting this argument, the Supreme Court ordered the inclusion of an additional police representative in the committee and clarified that the body should not interfere with the legal powers of police in maintaining law and order or conducting investigations.

Senior advocates R. Basant and Amit Krishnan appeared for the Kerala Police Officers Association. According to the association’s general secretary C. R. Biju, the ruling clearly defines situations where immediate arrest can be made within court premises and ensures that police can act swiftly if there is any attack or threat to judicial officers, lawyers, or the public inside court complexes.