Legal aid Society report

Legal Aid is a unique activity of V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, which is in consonance with the College motto of ‘Excellence in Legal Education in pursuit of Justice and Service to Humanity’. Helping the community concept is going on in this College since 1998. This mammoth activity comprises of 26 permanent free Legal Aid cells spread across the State of Goa. The concept of legal aid facility includes legal literacy, paralegal services and pre-litigation process to the disadvantaged people in our community. It extends also to representations, Public Interest Litigation, law reforms, enforcement and implementation of law in practice. Our legal aid services are unique in their nature and recognized by many well-known institutes in India as well as in foreign countries. The Planning Commission of India recognized the efforts of the college and students in its report. The college Legal Aid Society (LAS) is administered through a well-knit, organizational structure, where decision making is devolved to the end-level of the hierarchy.

The Functional Hierarchy

a) The Principal of the college is the apex authority for all activities.
b) The Director heads the Society, assisted by an Associate Director
c) Each faculty is in charge of 2-3 legal aid cells, who will inspect the weekly attendance
register, approve the theme and content of legal literacy programs and act as the guide
and facilitator for the cell.
d) The Cell is headed by a Student in-charge and assisted by a Deputy in-charge, nominated
by the cell members unanimously or selected by the faculty team which conducts annual inspection of the Cell.

All students are members of Legal Aid Cells for a minimum period of two years. Every year each member has to conduct 4 minor programmes to create awareness and one major programme/project for each Legal Aid Cell (LAC). During the academic year 2019-20 LAS has conducted 24 Major programmes, and more than 1040 Minor programmes to create awareness on various legal issues to children, students, different stake holders as per the topic, and general public. Students are also involved in conducting survey, projects, and helping the pubic in availing various welfare schemes announced by the State and Central Government. Every year, the college faculty members conduct inspection of all the LACs and the LAC are ranked basing on the performance in the previous year. Besides this, the college also conducts an Inter-LAC contest to encourage students in various activities like slogan writing, poster making, print press, script writing, and elocution competitions. Based on the total points scored by the LAC, the winner is declared. The winning LAC is awarded with a certificate (winners and runners-up of each event) and a Rolling trophy (Best LAC). This year, Vasco LAC was adjudged as the Best LAC of the year (2019-2020).

Some Highlights of LAC Activities

This academic year 2019-2020, Porvorim Legal Aid Cell at Sanjay School conducted a survey with the object to educate the food handlers in maintaining health and hygiene and to encourage the street vendors to implement the 12 Golden Rules. A survey was carried out in 5 places in North Goa. A report was prepared and submitted. As a result, the FDA Official conducted a training programme at VM S College of Law, Miramar on 24th February, 2020, for the street vendors and explained the Golden Rules, distributed the display boards consisting of the Golden Rules to be displayed on the gaada.

Another legal Aid Cell initiated the process of implementing Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for the eligible pubic. They collected the data from the State Government Office and
approached the appropriate Panchayats in implementing the scheme. In the following year, members of LAC will approach eligible public to collect required documents to be submitted in order to avail of the benefits of PMAY. Mala Legal Aid Cell shifted their place of functioning from Patto to BN Melvani Recreation Center for Senior Citizens, Fontainhas, Panaji, to help the Senior Citizens and local public in Mala area.

In the year 2019-2020 VMSCL Legal Aid Society received the KNOWLEDGE STEEZ LEGAL AID AWARD 2019, presented by Knowledge Steez, New Delhi for VMSCL Legal Aid Society for its commitment in community engagement from January 2019 to November 2020. The award was presented on 19th January, at Malviya Smriti Bhavan, New Delhi, at the 4th National Conference on Human Rights and Gender Justice. Moira and Sankhali Legal Aid cell in collaboration with Moira Panchayat inaugurated its 1st Village Library at Moira. This was under the Project Live initiated by Mr. Aditya Parab of Sankhali LAC. It was inaugurated by Sri. Glenn Tiklo, MLA, the Sarpanch, the Dy. Sarpanch, Fr. Alexander Pereira and Principal of VMSCL, Director of LAS, and faculty in-charges of Moira and Sankhali.