The Constitution Defenders Project

This project targets transgender persons, women and girls, persons with disabilities, and Dalit, Adivasi, and Bahujan communities, all of whom have historically faced social exclusion, discrimination, and lack of access to education, healthcare, and employment.

Recognizing this, the State has enacted laws such as the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. However, many individuals remain unaware of their rights and face barriers in accessing legal services, including lack of resources, awareness of legal aid, and affordable legal representation.

The Constitution Defenders Project aims to enhance access to justice for these vulnerable groups in across India through:

• Paralegal Training: Community members will be trained to assist with legal applications, RTI requests, interactions with police, welfare schemes, and authorities like Protection Officers and Disability Commissioners.
• Constitution Defender Fellows: Young lawyers will undertake a 2.5-year fellowship to provide legal representation, hold legal clinics, conduct Know-Your-Rights sessions, and offer specialized legal assistance.

CLPR will mentor, support, and build the capacities of this cadre of paralegal volunteers and constitutional defender fellows in a sustained manner to ensure that marginalized groups have access to high-quality and effective legal services, thereby significantly improving their access to justice.