Mobile Legal Aid Clinics in various hostels of Panjab University

Chandigarh, February 27, 2019: Legal Aid Society, University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), Panjab University, Chandigarh, on Thursday set up Mobile Legal Aid Clinics in various hostels of Panjab University including Boys Hostel No.2, Boys Hostel No.4, Girls Hostel 7 and Girls Hostel No. 8 to provide free legal aid to the residents and the staff of these hostels. Legal Aid Society, UILS has been providing legal aid to the members of the society who cannot afford a counsel to file or to defend the cases against them. The Legal Aid Clinic was established under the UT State Legal Services Authority in 2012 and has been working ever since to provide solution to the public approaching us in various matters including matrimonial disputes, labour disputes and consumer matters under the guidance of Prof. Sangita Bhalla, Prof. Rattan Singh, Dr. Amita Verma and Dr. Karan Jawanda. The Legal Aid Clinic, UILS functions every Tuesday and Thursday from 4p.m. to 5 p.m. where it entertains the cases from the general public including the students from UILS and other Departments,the members of the staff and members of the society. The Clinic has worked on around 200 cases since inception. The aim of legal aid clinic is not only to provide an advocate for their case, but also to try to resolve the dispute at the initial stage before the case is filed in the court through mediation. These mobile clinics were set up in continuance of the previous drive by the Students of Legal Aid Society in the Hostels with the support of the Dean Students’ Welfare Prof. Emanual Nahar and the wardens of Hostels namely Dr. Bharat, Dr. Virender Negi, Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Dr. Jai Mala and Dr. Anupam Bahriwherein the students not only provided Legal Aid but also conducted an awareness lecture in the hostel on various topics relating to the legal rights of the people which are violated on daily basis unknown to them. With the help of the wardens of these hostels this awareness drive was a success this time too. With their support, the volunteers of the Legal Aid Clinic were able to once again interact with the students, mess workers and other staff and not only aware them of their rights and duties but were also successful in taking up the issues faced by them and resolve them under the guidance of our teachers and the wardens of the hostels.