LEGAL AID CAMP - FEB 2023

Legal aid to the poor and weak is necessary for the preservation of rule of law which is necessary for the existence of the orderly society. Until and unless poor illiterate man is not legally assisted, he is denied equality in the opportunity to seek justice. Therefore as a step towards making the legal service serve the poor and the deprived; the judiciary has taken active interest in providing legal aid to the needy in the recent past. The Indian Constitution provides for an independent and impartial judiciary and the courts are given power to protect the constitution and safeguard the rights of people irrespective of their financial status. Since the aim of the constitution is to provide justice to all and the directive principles are in its integral part of the constitution, the constitution dictates that judiciary has duty to protect rights of the poor as also society as a whole.The judiciary through its significant judicial interventions has compelled as well as guided the legislature to come up with the suitable legislations to bring justice to the doorsteps of the weakest sections of the society. Public Interest Litigation is one shining example of how the Indian judiciary has played the role of the vanguard of the rights of Indian citizens especially the poor. It encouraged the public spirited people to seek justice for the poor.

The Legal Aid and Awareness Committee of Law, Christ Deemed University, Pune, Lavasa Campus, held its first Legal Aid Camp in Bhoini. The camp's name was "ग्रामस्थांना न्यायासाठी मदत", which translates to "Assisting the Villagers in Obtaining Justice." Domestic violence, child marriage, female foeticide, and rape laws were all highlighted at the camp.

The main goal of the event was to address the issues that women face. Women should be educated so that they can achieve their objectives without compromising. Because women are typically oppressed in our society, the primary goal was to educate them on their rights and how to seek assistance if they are facing legal issues. However, the camp also addressed issues such as employment, property rights, and whether or not people have access to basic necessities.

Dr. Sanjay Bang from the Law Department addressed the audience and gave the introduction on the importance of free Legal Aid camp and its benefits to the weaker sections of the society.

The questionnaire was distributed to the villagers in order to learn more about their problems and how we can assist them in the future. The questionnaire asked about domestic violence, employment issues, and access to basic necessities of life.

There was a Nukkad Natak to demonstrate the legal issues and laws involved. The Nukkad Natak had a positive impact because it helped many people in the audience understand legal issues and how to get help for them. Several villages presented their issues to the faculties and students throughout the camp.

Many members of the audience expressed their appreciation for the Nukkad Natak. We also received feedback that we should visit the village more frequently and assist the people with issues such as government schemes. Some women told us they had no idea they had so many rights.

The Camp was coordinated by faculty of Law department, Ms Shivani Jadhav, Dr Sadanand Karhale and Student Convenor of Legal Aid and Awareness Committee, Ms. Rashi Thakur. To Conclude the event, Vijeta, a student of LLM expressed the vote of thanks.

The event taught us about what we can do in the future for our upcoming legal aid camps. Because of the problems that we have learned about the people, we intend to make frequent visits to Bhoini to assist them with their problems. We also learned about the camp's shortfalls given that it was our first legal aid camp. We intend to handle those issues in future camps.