British Deputy High Commissioner for Andhra Pradesh launches  ‘Barefoot Lawyers’ to provide legal aid to poor

The ‘Barefoot Lawyers’ project was launched by British Deputy High Commissioner for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Andrew Fleming at the Indian Medical Association hall, here on Thursday.
British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming taking a selfie during the launch of Barefoot Lawyers helpline in Vijayawada on Thursday (Photo| EPS, P Ravindra Babu)
British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Fleming taking a selfie during the launch of Barefoot Lawyers helpline in Vijayawada on Thursday (Photo| EPS, P Ravindra Babu)

VIJAYAWADA: The ‘Barefoot Lawyers’ project was launched by British Deputy High Commissioner for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Andrew Fleming at the Indian Medical Association hall, here on Thursday.
“Barefoot Lawyers is a project conceived to make the downtrodden able to legally uplift themselves and others from their community against the discrimination meted out by the rest of the society,” said Fleming.

An initiative by Santhi Welfare Association, Kovvur, the campaign aims to create para legals among the minority communities in the State. “As part of the project, several workshops in colleges, community and rural education centres and group discussions in and around Kovvur will be organised. Girls from various colleges will be trained in this programme,” said projects director, Rebaka Rani of Shanti Welfare Association.

A toll-free helpline number 180042580, along with the poster of the project, was launched at the event. The project will cater to the legal needs of the poor people and further support the victims of various atrocities faced by the marginalised sector of the society. A representative of the Board of Directors, Harvest India International, Tenali, which has extended a helping hand to execute the campaign, said, “Legal aid is not available in the remote areas of the State. People have to travel to far off places to hire services of lawyers, which again is an expensive affair for them. The Barefoot Lawyers project will help them get justice, which is their right.”

The activities of this five-month programme include situational analysis of cases and case studies, interaction with students on volunteerism, interaction with rural youth about paralegal opportunities, training of para legals on legal education and awareness, para legal campaign for women and youth and training of para legals on legal proceedings. Session will be organised at schools and other locations in and around Kovvur.

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