Legal aid to the poor is fundamental for the conservation of rule of law which is essential for the presence of the organized society. It suggests giving free legal administrations to poor people and destitute who can’t bear the cost of the administrations of a lawyer for the lead of a case or a legal procedure in any court, tribunal or before a power.
Until and except if unfortunate uneducated man isn’t legally helped, he is denied similarly in the potential chance to look for justice. Thusly a stage towards making the legal helps serve poor people and the denied; the legal executive has checked out giving legal aid to the destitute in the new past. The principal object is to give equivalent justice is to be made accessible to poor people, down trampled and more vulnerable segment of society. The Indian Constitution accommodates a free and unbiased legal executive and the courts are empowered safeguard the constitution and protect the Rights of individuals regardless of their monetary status.
Bar council of India has included Legal Aid as a part of the curriculum of law colleges, that is why every law college of the nation opt for legal aid, including law colleges of Cooch Behar organizes Legal Aid in collaboration with District Legal Service Authority.
The Legal Aid Clinic’s awareness programs are a catalyst for a layman who has little cognizance of legal knowledge. Law colleges in every corner of the nation opt for legal aid and legal awareness programs; Indian Institute of Legal Studies Cooch Behar is continuously progressive in conducting Legal aid and Legal awareness programs in the surrounding areas of Cooch Behar.
The college has its own Legal aid committee consisting Students and Faculty Members which ensure smooth functioning of the Legal aid programs in different place, the committee is dedicated towards promotion of the Legal literacy in the society, the committee is inspired to establish equal access to justice to all the citizens in the country.
The Committee has set up a goal while promoting legal awareness such as-
- Raising awareness and building capacity
- Training of trainers
- Community education and legal empowerment
- Exposing law students to social justice work
- Strengthening community solidarity and supporting grass-roots advocacy
For the Promotion of Legal awareness and providing legal aid the committee organizes various legal aid programs and Lok Adalats in collaboration of District Legal Service Authority of Cooch Behar.
The District Legal Service Authority provide free legal services to the eligible persons such as-
- A member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe;
- A victim of trafficking in human beings or begar as referred to in Article 23 of the Constitution;
- A woman or a child;
- A mentally ill or otherwise disabled person;
- A person under circumstances of undeserved want such as being a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster; or
- An industrial workman; or
- In custody; or a person in receipt of annual income less than 3 lakh per annum, if the case is before a Court other than the Supreme Court, and less than Rs 5 Lakh, if the case is before the Supreme Court.
The Committee works for the purpose of providing community education and spread legal awareness with a vision to eliminate legal illiteracy in the area of Cooch Behar.
