Establishment

The Legal Care & Support Centre (hereinafter called the ‘Centre’) Shillong Law College, was established by the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) in 2013, under the prompt initiative by the Hon’ble Member Secretary, Shri. W. Diengdoh. The Centre was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Mr. Justice Madan B. Lokur, Judge Supreme Court of India, on the 16th November, 2013 in the presence of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Prafulla C. Pant, (then) Chief Justice, High Court of Meghalaya and Patron-in-Chief, the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA), Hon’ble Mr. Justice T.N.K. Singh (then) Judge, High Court of Meghalaya and Executive Chairman, MSLSA, and Hon’ble Mr Justice S.R. Sen, Judge, High Court of Meghalaya. Mr. Rowell Lyngdoh, (then) Honb’le Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya was also present during the inauguration of the Centre.

Vision & Objectives

Access to justice is recognized as a Fundamental Right under Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India. In Anita Kushwaha v. Pushap Sudan, [(2016) 8 SCC 509] the Supreme Court categorically asserts:

“We have, therefore, no hesitation in holding that access to justice is indeed a facet of right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. We need only add that access to justice may as well be the facet of the right guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before law and equal protection of laws.”

Through their legal education, law students become efficient participants in this quest for access to justice for all, which is an endeavour to materialize the ideals set out by the Preamble and the obligation of the State under Article 39A of the Constitution of India. The Legal Care & Support Centre (Legal Aid Clinic), Shillong Law College (the Centre), shares this Constitutional vision and has become a humble part of this endeavour.

The Centre aims at achieving the objectives laid down by the provision of section 4(k) of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, i.e., to improve the clinical skills of the students and to encourage them to provide free and competent legal services to the poor and indigent who are eligible under section 12 of the Act.

To achieve these objectives, the Centre, under the aegis of the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) and the District Authority (DLSA, East Khasi Hills), has been involving the students of the College in organising various related activities and programmes as outlined in the NALSA (Legal Services Clinics in Universities, Law Colleges and other Institutions) Scheme, 2013 and the National Legal Services Authority (Legal Aid Clinics) Scheme, 2010.

Target Groups

1. Students of the Shillong Law College
2. Women & Children
3. Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs)
4. Beneficiaries eligible under section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
5. The Intended Beneficiaries under the various NALSA Schemes.