On 18th January, CLPR is organising a capacity-building and collaborative learning session on caste discrimination laws and enlisting expert resource persons to provide guidance and support for lawyers interested in working on anti-caste discrimination issues in Karnataka.

CLPR is undertaking an initiative that aims at better implementation of the laws relating to caste discrimination in India, focusing on four Southern states – Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Even after enactment of laws to combat caste-based discrimination, shoddy investigative and prosecutorial practices and high pendency in courts are among the chief causes for the poor implementation of these legislations. As a result, conviction rates for caste atrocity offences are low and justice for the victims of atrocities are often delayed or denied.

We believe that organised lawyers’ networks in the said states will improve access to justice for vulnerable communities and ensure better delivery of the rehabilitation schemes and policies for victims and witnesses under the laws. The network will facilitate sharing of information such as drafts, case updates, and precedents as well as encourage the coordination of larger litigation efforts for the effective implementation of these laws.