Community Legal Services for Access to Justice

Implementation By:

BLAST-YPSA Consortium

Supported By:

Community Legal Services (CLS), Maxwell Stamp PLC and DFID

Project Duration:

From 1st July 2014 to 31 March 2017

Aim of the Project

To  facilitate  access  to  justice  for  marginalised  and  vulnerable  communities  in  hard  to  reach areas  through  community  empowerment  and  access to quality legal services in selected areas  in  Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar district.

Objectives:

  1. To increase community’s awareness and knowledge of the formal legal system, available legal services, and pathways for accessing remedies in cases of injustice.
  1. To improve delivery of community legal services  by  building  the  capacity  of  justice  service  providers  to  increase their responsiveness to community needs.
  1. To  ensure  the  delivery  of  fair  and  equitable  legal  services  through CLS  centers  in  collaboration  with relevant GO-NGO initiatives and organizations.

Project Working Area:

Name of Districts Sub-Districts Number of Union
Chittagong Fotikchari 20
Rangunia 16
Sandwhip upazilla 15
Cox’s bazaar Moheshkhali Upazilla 09
Kutubdia Upazilla 06
Ramu upazilla 11

 

Project Output-Activities:

Output 1: Poor and marginalized group are legally empowered to claim all sorts of available legal services at their own community for seeking remedies

Activity 1.1:  Legal education for the awareness of the target groups

Sub: activity:

 Bazar Meeting

 Cultural Campaign e.g video shows, street theater, folk songs

 Day Observation (Human rights day, National legal aid day)

 Court yard Meeting through flip charts with Women and Girls

 Publications like posters, digitally printed poster, stickers, Installation of bill boards in upazilla, Installation of sign board in CLS centre, wall writings, pictorial flipchart for court yard meeting

 Broadcast messages through Community Radio in Swandip Island e.g folk song, talking drama, public opinion and interview.

 Produce digital Talking book.

Activity 1.2:  Forming CLS coalitions at Upazilla level for providing assistance for legal education on the legal rights and the available legal services with the representatives of civil society

Sub: activity:

 Orientation workshop to formulate coalition of different active civil society Representatives to act on legal protection for the poor and marginalized in the local community

 Planning Workshop of coalitions for sharing experiences and future activities on legal protection for the poor and marginalized in the local community

 Follow up meeting with Coalition Members to share experiences and future activities

Activity 1.3:  Providing knowledge and awareness to the CLS coalition’s members to take effective measure for obtaining justice for the victims through community legal services.

Sub: activity:

 Training for the coalition members on available legal rights and remedies /services

 Refresher’s training for the CLS coalition members.

Output 2: The function and accountability of the justice service providers (LGIs) at the local level for improving access to justice for disadvantage and vulnerable groups

Activity 2.1: Developing capacity of justice service providers at the local level (LGIs)

Sub: activity:

 Adoption of training Module (on legal rights, remedies and available services)

 Training on available legal rights, remedies and services for the members of the local government

 Refresher’s Trainings for the local government.

Activity 2.2:  Linking with the service providers for provision of legal service delivery to the target groups

Sub: activity:

 Workshop with local level justice service providers on provision of legal service delivery

 Coordination meetings with the service providers like UP members, ULAC members and coalition members for provision of pro-poor and gender friendly legal service delivery

 GO-NGO Collaboration meetings to activate local level justice services for   the vulnerable community in the project locations.

 Sharing meeting to activate UZLAC

 Meeting with District Legal Aid Committee (DLAC)

 Meeting with District Nari-O-Shishu Nirjaton Protirodh Committee.

Output 3: Women and vulnerable people have been able to access legal services from CLS centers; village court and LGIs:

Activity 3.1:  Establishing 15 CLS centers in different working areas

Sub: activity:

  • Setting up 15 CLS centers on the basis of clustering where one center will cover 5 unions
  • Launching meetings of the CLS centers
  • Orientation meetings for Panel Lawyers (to be hired for CLS centers)
  • Legal Advice through panel lawyers in CLS centers
  • Provision of mediation where appropriate at the local level by involving panel lawyers.

Activity 3.2:  Support the victims for prompt community legal service

Sub: activity:

 Emergency Medical Support to Victims

 Transport support to Victims

 Refer cases to the legal expert organization e.g BLAST and DLAC

 Regular follow up of cases (Monitoring visit)

Out Put 4: Cross cutting activities

Activity-4.1-6

 Project Launching Program

 Community Need Assessment and Final Evaluation

 Project planning workshop on program, financial management and donor compliance

 Training for Trainers (ToT)-for front line staffs on legal rights and remedies

 Project Coordination meeting

 Consortium Management Committee (CMC) meeting

Project Human Resources

 Program Coordinator, YPSA

 Program Manager (LA), BLAST

 Program Officer (Training), YPSA

 Program officer (Campaign & Communication), YPSA

 Monitoring & Documentation Officer (2), YPSA

 Upazilla Manager (6), YPSA

 Field Facilitator (15), YPSA

 Finance and Accounts Officer (2), YPSA

 Finance (Accounts) Officer, BLAST

 MIS Assistant, BLAST

 Lawyers at Upazilla level, BLAST

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