Police Legitimacy, Obligation to Obey, and Compliance with the Law: A Complex Relationship

• In Event: Perspectives on Crime and Justice in an International Context

Abstract

Voluntary and willing compliance with the law is essential for exercising legal authority. Studies indicate that voluntary compliance depends on the public perception of the legitimacy of the authority. On the basis of a survey conducted of 669 victims of crime in India who interacted with the police, the study examines whether the dimensions of perceptions of police legitimacy comprise the lawfulness of police, procedural justice, distributive justice, and police effectiveness. The research also examines the relationship between legitimacy, the obligation to obey, and the respondent’s compliance with the law. The two research questions were examined by computing Structural Equation Models (SEM). The study affirms that legitimacy is a multidimensional concept and that the legitimacy of the police has both a direct impact on compliance with the law and through the obligation to obey as a mediating variable. The study has policy implications, and as legitimacy has an impact on compliance with the law, police should invest in enhancing their legitimacy by addressing the different dimensions of legitimacy in their daily work and taking focused measures, including training of personnel.

Author

• Vinod Kumar TK, University of North Carolina Wilmington