The government is created by the people, for the people, and while it is above the people in power, the power rests with the people. The creation of the government is to protect the common civilian by providing security and defense to the nation from external threats. The government also provides security and justice within to ensure that the public is as safe as possible. They also hold trials on the accused, providing justice if needed be. However, the accused also has rights, including the right to a lawyer, a fair trial, and a true justice. The Prosecution team also must prove that the accused is guilty, instead of the accused proving his innocence. The government provides these rights to it's civilians to ensure that the balance of power (the power held by the civilian v. the government) is balanced, and that the government cannot take total control.
It doesn't really matter what the public thinks because people have different views on things so can't take an opinion without analysing the situation based on someone else's opinion.
