Child Rights Clinics

Director: Dr. Kim Rocha Couto
Associate Director: Dr. Mrunmayi Vaidya

Child Right Clinics 

The Child Rights Clinic of V.M. Salgaocar College of Law is the first clinic of its kind in the State of Goa .It brings the law students and the children of the community closer together. The Clinic is a part of the clinical legal education program of the college aimed at moulding law students into professionally competent and socially responsible citizens.

Objectives

The Clinic was established in the year 2015 with the avowed objective of building a ‘child-friendly’ society in the State. The Clinic being on- campus and subject-specific, it aims to

(i)provide members with knowledge of laws designed for the protection of children.
(ii) familiarise and provide members a first -hand experience of the procedure adopted in the Juvenile Justice Board, the Children’s Court and other quasi-judicial bodies for the protection and welfare of children in the State.
(iii)undertake research to assess the law and policy on child-rights and its enforcement.
(iv) facilitate access to justice for children whose rights have been violated.
(v) undertake training for various stakeholders including school leachers, parents among others, in child -related laws and child rights.
(vi) to create child rights-sensitized lawyers.

Linkages & Collaborations

The Clinic works in close association with the Department of Women and Child Development, Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Children’s Court Juvenile Justice Board, Child Welfare Committee, Goa State Legal Services Authority,Victim Assistance Unit of the State and all stake holders to strengthen the child protection system in Goa.

The clinic also collaborates with leading foreign universities for sharing experiences and best practices on child protection systems.

Enrolment:

Membership is open to students of Third Year B.A.LL.B., Fourth Year B.A.LL.B., Second Year and Third Year students of the LL.B. Degree programmes. Students are selected based on their interest, commitment and the successful completion of their aptitude assessment. The Child Rights Clinic has an intake capacity of 25 students.
The faculty-in-charge oversees the functioning of students and offers advice, guidance, and support to them.

Activities

The ‘Going to Court’ program is followed by the Child Rights Clinic members every year since its inception. Besides facilitating access to justice for children involved in court proceedings, the members also assist the Juvenile Justice Board and Children’s Court in various ways.
The members also observe and celebrate all significant national and international days dedicated to children including Children’s Day, National Girl Child Day among others. Enrolment:
The Child Rights Clinic is the recipient of the prestigious ‘HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS’ COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD for its outstanding work in creating awareness in society about various issues facing children and the rights children enjoy under the law. In addition, it organizes Toy Collection Drives and reaches out to the underprivileged children.

Learning Outcomes:

(i)Members of the Clinic get an understanding of the laws designed for the protection and welfare of children.

(ii)Members get first-hand experience of children’s court procedures and the working of the justice- system for children.

(iii)Members get sensitized to real life situations involving child rights violation.