Concept and objective
The Hon’ble Chief Justice, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad who
is also the Patron-in-Chief of the Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services
Authority (hereinafter UPSLSA) observed in the 25th Annual General
Meeting that students of Law Universities should be associated in the
work of legal literacy. These law students in addition are expected to
act as para-legals for monitoring the Legal Awareness Progammes.
The journey of legal aid in India starting from being a
charity has traversed great distance to reach the status of
constitutional right. The Fundamental right conferred under
Article 14 of the Constitution providing for equality and
equal protection of laws, become meaningless if the citizens
face barriers to ‘access to justice’.
In the Indian Society, barriers to access to justice are
multifarious. In the report of the Expert Committee on Legal
Aid under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Krishna
Iyer – “Processual Justice to the People” – a large number of
barriers to ‘access to justice’ have been enumerated.
Illiteracy, social backwardness, physical, geographical, social
and psychological distancing and even mental incapacity act
as real barriers to the common people for getting access to
the seats of justice. The result is that they become silent
sufferers even while they face abject denial of justice.
Despite complicated social realities, the rule of law,
independence of the judiciary and access to justice are
conceptually interwoven. All the three bring to bear upon
the quality of aspirations which are guaranteed under the
Constitution of India. In order to fulfill the aspiration, it is
important that the system must be a successful legal and
judicial system.
Para Legal Volunteers (hereinafter PLVs) are intended
to bridge the gap between the people who suffer the
problems of ‘access to justice’ and the legal services
institutions. PLVs help the poor & disadvantaged for
protecting their legal rights. The ultimate object of PLVs is to
help the legal services institutions established under the
Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 for bringing the voice of
the voiceless to be heard and to get their grievances
redressed.
Article 39A of the Constitution provides that the State
shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes
justice on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in
particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or
schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities
for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of
economic or other disabilities.
This grand objective as declared under the
Constitution has been given a legal/statutory status through
the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Section 12 of the
said Act in particular has laid down the criteria for providing
legal services, wherein 7 category of persons have been
enumerated as being entitled to legal services. All of these
may remain unachieved, if the intended beneficiaries are not
aware of their rights and mechanisms to approach the
created institutions/agencies. To fill this gap, the PLVs are
expected to act as the link between the legal rights and the
targeted population.
The Government both at the Centre and in the States
over the last few years, have drawn large number of welfare
schemes, for various categories of under privileged
population. But, on account of various facts outlined above,
the beneficiaries are not able to take benefit of these
schemes/programmes, guaranteeing work, food, house,
pensions, insurance, education etc. For ensuring the proper
implementation of these entitlements too, the PLVs have a
great role to play.
Students pursuing 5 years or 3 years LL.B. courses
are presumably well versed with the basics of various Legal
provisions. The only requirement is to equip them to
voluntarily act as the bridge between the common man &
legal services institutions, so that they may act as ‘remover’
of all real & perceived barriers to ‘access to justice’.
The Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services Authority ever
since its inception has looked for different avenues of
creating a sensitized knowledgeable manpower to bring
about legal empowerment. The young law students if are
given the right orientation about their paramount role- to act
as agents of facilitating legal services to the people in need,
they may prove to be a catalyst in bringing about the
intended change leading to legal empowerment.
With this objective in mind, the UPSLSA started the
scheme of providing PLV training to select law students in
January, 2009 & conducts two such training programme
one each in the summer & winter seasons. The summer
training programme is conducted in the month of June & the
winter training programme is conducted during the month of
December or January.
Programme for December,2012
The UPSLSA proposes to conduct the winter PLV
training programme from 10th to 24th December, 2012. In
order to facilitate the smooth conduct of the programme,
students pursuing Law are hereby invited to submit their
applications in accordance with the criteria as under:-
1. The student applying for the programme should have
successfully completed at least first 5 Semesters of LL.B.
from any recognized Law College or University.
2. The application shall accompany
nomination/recommendations of the Head of the Deptt. with
specific report regarding general conduct & acumen of the
applicant.
3. The applicant shall be required to be present on all the days
of programme as per the schedule, prepared by UPSLSA.
Absence on any day shall disqualify her/him from further
participation. Also that no certificate of participation shall
be issued to any such defaulters/absentees.
4. As female students shall also be participating in the
programme, the male students are expected to give due
respect to such female students. Any misdemeanor shall
result in immediate termination of further participation in
the training programme and the act(s) of misdemeanor shall
be reported to the H.O.D. of his College/University.
5. The training programme is non-residential. The applicants
have to make their own arrangements of boarding/lodging &
transportation.
6. The interns shall be in formal uniform:
Boys: White trouser & white shirt & black coat with black tie
& black shoes.
Girls: May put up white salwar suit and black blazer.
7. The students shall be required to submit a project report on
the topic, which will be allocated by UPSLSA on the opening
day of the programme. Further they would be required to
make a brief presentation of their project work before the
audience.
8. The students are expected to devote some time for social
causes of great importance like legal literacy/awareness
programme after having successfully completed the training
programme. This would be done by them under the District
Legal Services Authorities.
9. During visit to places like the Hon’ble High Court, Legislative
Houses, Commissions, Jails, Forensic Science Laboratory,
Police Station, Observation Homes etc. great caution and
absolute discipline and etiquette is expected of the interns.
10. A maximum of 50 candidates shall be accommodated for the
programme.
11. The selection of the candidate shall in addition be done on
the following criteria:-
(i) Students with better academic record & extra
curricular engagement shall be given preference.
(ii) Students who have worked in the legal aid clinics,
institution of National/State repute working in the
field of Legal Aid, Literacy or Awareness Programme
etc. shall also be given due credit.
12. No fee would be charged by the UPSLSA for the above
training programme.
13. The decision of the Hon’ble Executive Chairman of the
Authority in the matter of selection of eligible students for
the programme shall be final.
U.P. State Legal Services Authority
3rd Floor, Jawahar Bhawan Annexe,
Lucknow.
Application Form-2012
Name
Father’s Name
Mother’s Name
Date of Birth
Name of Institution
Course
Year/Semester
(Supported by
Marksheet/Certificates)
E-mail address
Mobile/Phone No.
Permanent Address
Local Address with Guardian’s
Name & Contact Number(s)
Any Experience of
participation in Legal
aid/awareness/literacy
programme. (Provide details)*
Other Academics related Extra
Curricular Activities*
Date:
Lucknow Signature of the Candidate
* Enclose all documents in support
