Private enforcement allows for private persons or organizations to sanction violators of legal rules in courts without consent or action by public enforcers (such as the police, public prosecutors or regulators). The establishment of private rights of standing in public courts is especially important when private agents have access to superior information in the detection and sanctioning of offenses under public or private contract law relative to public enforcers. Private enforcement can also act as a safeguard against abuse of power by state actors and restrain the scope for regulatory capture by private special interests.