THE ESSENCE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF LAW IS EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW, THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL AND THE RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL.THIS IS ACHIEVED THROUGH ACCESS TO LEGAL AID FOR ALL”
The Constitution of India enunciates the connotation of broadly accessible legal aid. Under Article 39A of the Constitution of India Part IV [the Directive Principles of State Policy] inserted by the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act 1976, the State is committed to securing ‘the operation of the legal system promotes justice on a basis of equality’ and providing free legal aid to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other difficulties. The object of this provision is to promote equality so that no citizen is denied the right to seek justice because of economic incapacity to bear the cost of legal aid.
‘Legal Aid’ encompasses a broad range of activities that aim at social advancement by creatively utilizing the instrument of Law. Legal profession, the way it is currently practiced and organized, is primarily concerned with the improvement of the quality of legal services rather than ensuring equitable and even distribution of legal services. That is where the concept of Legal Aid finds its relevance—it strives to make law relevant to the masses that are somehow left out and exist below the visibility line of law in action.
At the Legal Aid Society of SMS Law College,Varanasi we want to provide legal aid to those who cannot afford professional legal services and we want to champion those public causes for which support is lacking. For this we have divided the functional areas of LAS into various groups like- Environmental protection, consumer protection, prison reforms, gender sensitization, victims of armed struggle, dramatics, slums, disabled/senior citizen, juvenile justice& child rights, mediation, right to information etc
Legal Aid Society is a constituent unit of the SMS Law College operational since 2023. It is intended to provide legal relief easily accessible to the indigent and backward sections of society.
The objective of the Legal Aid Society is to achieve the constitutional goals as enshrined under the Preamble of the Constitution of India. The Constitution of India wishes to secure to all its citizens Justice, Liberty, Equality, and to promote among them all, Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and unity and integrity of the nation. Every person is entitled to equality before the law. The Clinic works to make legal aid available to poor and marginalized people in India.
As a constituent unit of the College, it works to provide free legal services to the students, teachers, employees, and people at large. It also organizes legal awareness camps and programmes in the college campus and in other adjoining areas.
Goals & Objectives:
- The LAS, with a vision to extend legal aid or support in all manners needed, is dedicated to promote an inclusive legal system by organizing various activities and programmes pertaining to general public. The far reaching goal of these activities is to extend legal help to the marginalized, disadvantaged and indigent sections of the society.
- LAS focus to accelerate the process of providing a platform to spread consciousness about the requirement of legal aid by the indigent litigants. This process involves engaging the student volunteers in organizing of various legal awareness drives, legal aid camps, campaigns, seminars,etc. Also, through these activities the society intends to make the residents of Varanasi and adjoining areas aware about their legal rights and duties.
- The society in order to achieve the goal of establishment of an inclusive legal system facilitates the works in coordination of Varanasi District Legal Services Authority.
- One such community which is capable of bringing a change in the society is the student community. Therefore, the society is devoted in grooming the student members of the society to become responsible legal practitioners or officers that will be acquainted with the ground realities of the country and will work towards the up liftmen of the disadvantaged sections of society by imparting all kind of legal services required by them.
- We are open to ideas and we believe that we can learn from the experience of those who are engaged in similar activities. For that we are keen to enter into collaborations with NGOs and governmental organizations. Our key strength, in this regard, is a large body of students who are talented and equally committed.
Faculty Convenor: Mr Ankit Rai
Timming: 2-4 PM Monday
Legal Aid Office:SMS Law College
Contact us:7392978752
Student Members ( Para Legal Volunteers) III Semester
1.Amaan Ansari
2.Anjali
3.Harsh Gupta
4.Khusi Jaiswal
5.Neetu Giri
6.Niharika Pathak
7.Shivangi
8.Shivang Saran
9.Amit Kumar Singh
Students Member (Para Legal Volunteers) I Semester
1. Hrithik Yadav
2. Aditya Singh
3. Vikas Vishwakarma
4. Shubham Mishra
5. C.Ganeshwar
6. Yashraj Sharma
7. Vishal Shukla
8. Anusha Rai
9. Kausihiki Kesari
10. Mantasha
11. Aryan Yadav
12. Arpita Pandey
13. Kumar Kartikey
14. Vertika
15. Harshita Singh
16. Juhi Pathak
17. Ujjwal Singh
18. Ayesha Pal
19. Sara
20. Ananya Sinha
21. Saurabh seth