The Legal Aid Society, Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi aims to provide legal aid to the fellow citizens who cannot afford professional legal services and also look forward to championing those public causes for which adequate support is still lacking. The society has always been a rock-steady pillar of support for those who require legal assistance in any field of law. The progress made by the society in this arena has been due to the strenuous efforts put in by the students, professors and lawyers who are inspired by the motto of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)- ‘Access to Justice for all’. Our cherished objectives include work on all the fronts of the legal process, i.e. awareness, encouragement and enforcement of the rule of law.
The society is deeply committed towards its two main objectives; creating legal awareness and providing legal aid with the assistance of a lawyer at the Legal Services Clinic, Campus Law Centre. The legal aid society aims to disseminate legal information among those who cannot afford legal services by way of legal literacy programs in and around campus in consonance with the provisions of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.
Legal Services Clinic (LSC): The LSC works in close collaboration with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and is opened every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A Legal Aid Counsel, appointed by the Central District Legal Services Authority (C-DLSA), visits the clinic every Saturday and is assisted by trained Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs). The LSC also maintains a register to record the details of the seekers of legal services, nature of services rendered and remarks of the lawyer.
From October 2019 to February 2020, the LSC addressed a wide variety of legal grievances, ranging from domestic violence matters to property-related disputes to sexual assault cases. (For more details, please refer to TABLE-1)
Table 1
| Area of Law | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| Criminal Disputes | 3 |
| Property Disputes | 4 |
| Family Disputes | 2 |
| Money Related Disputes | 5 |
| Procedural Queries | 14 |
| Total | 28 |
The LSC has been successful in providing free legal assistance because of the active participation of the PLVs in collaboration with the empanelled lawyers. By providing this opportunity of assisting the experienced lawyers, the LSC has proved to be a dynamic tool of learning for more than 50 PLVs by exposing them to the practicalities of the legal profession.
Awaaz-The Blog
‘Awaaz -The Blog’ is an initiative of the Legal Aid Society, Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi. The blog publishes an article with an aim to encourage diverse legal discourse on contemporary social, political and legal issues, and wishes to create a space where different ideas come together conversing with each other.
Awaaz-The Blog is effectively managed by the Editorial Board (EB) comprising of 8 members. The primary functions of the EB include selecting the articles based on legal contemporary issues and critically analysing them.
We seek to emphasize the importance of socially relevant legal education in the discipline of law and its recognition as a sine qua non for proper dispensation of justice. The blog operates online and is available here: http://lasclc.in/
Activities of Legal Aid Society
The following are the activities undertaken by the society in the academic year 2019-20:
| S.No. | Date | Theme of Visit | Area Visited | Purpose |
| 1 | 4th October | Legal Awareness Drive | Timarpur (including Indira Basti and Sanjay Basti) | To create awareness about legal rights and the legal aid scheme. |
| 2 | 11th October | March cum Legal Awareness Drives | SKV Malka Ganj | To create awareness about legal rights and the legal aid scheme. |
| 3 | 22nd October | Legal Awareness Programme | Hindu College | To create awareness about legal rights and the legal aid scheme. |
| 4 | 18th October | Clean and Green March | Daryaganj | To create awareness about keeping the environment clean and green. |
| 5 | 11th November | Screening of Documentary “The Price of Free” | Seminar Hall, Campus Law Centre | To increase awareness regarding rights of children |
| 6 | 16th November | Drug De-addiction Drive | Christian Colony, Patel Chest | To sensitize people against the harmful effects of drugs to the society in general and families in particular. |
| 7 | 26th November | Constitution Day | Tis Hazari Court | Workshop attended by selected PLVs organized by DSLSA on fundamental rights and duties. |
| 8 | 9th January | Legal Awareness Drive and Fundamental Duties | Majnu ka Tila | To create awareness about legal duties and the legal aid scheme. |
| 9 | 15th January | Traffic Awareness Programme | Malka Ganj Chowk to Ghanta Ghar, Shakti Nagar | To create awareness about the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 and general road safety. |
| 10 | 24th January | Legal Awareness Drive and Fundamental Duties | Chandrawal | To create awareness about legal duties and the legal aid scheme. |
| 11 | 24th January | Legal Awareness Drive and Economically Weaker Section(EWS) Disadvantaged Group (DG) Admission information | Peer Bagichi and Andha Mughal | To create awareness about legal rights and legal aid scheme. |
| 12 | 30st January | National Seminar, “Gandhi on Duties” | Seminar Hall, Campus Law Centre | To stir a discourse on Gandhian principles and Fundamental Duties. |
| 13 | 31st January | Seminar on “UN Human Rights Council and Human Rights Lawyering in India” | Seminar Hall, Campus Law Centre | To discuss about UN Human Rights Council and Human Rights Lawyering in India |
| 14 | 1st – 22nd February | EWS/DG Admission Drive 2020 | Shakti Nagar, Timarpur, Peer Bagichi, Andha Mughal and Kabir Basti | To facilitate admissions of EWS/DG Category and Children With Disabilities Category for the academic session 2020-21 through Computerized Online Admission System. |
| 15 | 5th February | Rescue Drive | New Delhi Railway Station and Connaught Place | Conducted a rescue drive to search a 32- year old woman who came to India in January 2020. |
| 16 | 13th February | Visit to Tihar Jail | Tihar Jail Complex | To conduct an in-depth study of legal aid services provided to the Jail inmates and various rights available to arrested persons. |
| 17 | 20th February | Visit to Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) | IHBAS Institute, Dilshad Garden | To gain an insight into the functioning of a mental healthcare institution, in particular, the living conditions of inmates. |
| 18 | 25th February | Visit to Juvenile Justice Board and Observation Homes | Sewa Kutir Complex, Kingsway Camp | To observe how the Board works, the conditions of the observation home and how efficiently aid is being provided by the legal aid service authorities. |
| 19 | 7th– 13th March | Legal Aid Camp for Riot Victims | Karawal Nagar | To aid lawyers in filing FIRs and filing compensation forms for victims of violence in North East Delhi. |
| 20 | 9th – 13th March | Legal Aid and Awareness for Riot Victims | Shiv Vihar | To aid Delhi Government officials in relief efforts and legal aid for victims of violence in North East Delhi. |
LAS Reports
Report of the Legal Aid Society
2018-2019
Report of the Legal Aid Society
2017-2018
Executive Body of Legal Aid Society
Faculty Convener:
Dr. Kshitij Kumar Singh
Faculty Members:
Ms. Sneh Yadav
Mr. Vijoy Panicker
Ms. Atma Yadav
Student Convener:
Manisha Aswal
Student Co-Conveners:
Akash Sachan, Aniket Rajput, Daksh Aggarwal, Loveleen Kaur, Manish Kumawat, Mihir Gujjewar, Misbah Reshi, Monika Rani, Niharika Diwan, Subham Kr. Jain, Sumit Gahlawat, Tanishka Khatana
Achievements
The Legal Services Clinic of the Legal Aid Society, Campus Law Centre was adjudged as the Best Legal Aid Clinic at 1st UILS National Legal Aid Forum, 2019 held at University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh on April 05, 2019.
Contact Us
E-mail Address of Legal Aid Society: clclegalaidsociety2016@gmail.com
All correspondence and queries related to Awaaz- The Blog may be addressed to: awaaz.bloglasclc@gmail.com