Certificate Award Ceremony of Human Rights Law Clinic

The Certificate Award Ceremony of the Human Rights Law Clinic (HRLC) at the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS) was held on 10 April 2013 at UMSAILS’ conference room in Dhaka. 

Dr. Kamal Hossain is handing over a certificate.

Eminent Jurist and Chairperson of the Governing Council of UMSAILS, Dr. Kamal Hossain has distributed certificates as the Guest of Honour among 13 graduated Volunteers of the HRLC.

Dr. Kamal Hossain

In his speech, Dr. Hossain said, ethical lawyering is vital for promoting and ensuring Rule of Law in the country.

Dr. Hossain is also the Chairperson of Bangladesh Chapter of the South Asia Foundation(SAF). The SAF, which was founded by renowned Philanthropist Ambassador Madanjeet Singh, is the sponsor of UMSAILS.  

Speaking to young Law Students, Dr. Hossain said that law is an instrument of social change. Therefore, curriculum of Legal education should have social connections, so that students could have exposures in that regard. Underlining on needs of introducing Clinical Legal Education in the country, he said that Bangladesh Bar Council and various Bar Associations have a pivotal role in this regard. He continued on saying that Ethics and Professional Code of Conduct are must in the legal curriculum.  

Dr. Kamal Hossain is addressing the function.

According to Dr. Hossain, it is the high time to look into what are requirements and demands of the time given the emerging global context of legal profession, and what students do want out of that. The Legal Education should be reformed in that line, he opined. 

He said that Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), which is to mark 20 years this year, was established with an aim to provide opportunities for fresh law graduates to be engaged in legal and judicial services and activism up to grassroots levels.

Dr. Hossain, in his speech, remembered contribution of late Dr. Mohiuddin Farooque for promoting the concept of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bangladesh through his legal and judicial activism and in establishing the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). 

Dr. Hossain has completed 54 years in legal profession this year, which also include eight years of teaching as an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of International Relations and the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka.

Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, Vice Chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific and Vice Chairperson of SAF Bangladesh Chapter, Advocate Z. I. Khan, Member of the Board of Trustees of BLAST, and Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Dhaka International University spoke on the function. 

Victoria Chakma and Emraan Azad, who are Students of Law at the University of Dhaka and Participants of the HRLC, also shared their views on the programme. 

Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, a Human Rights Lawyer and Honorary Director of the HRLC moderated the session.

Graduated Volunteers of HRLC with Distinguished Guests.

A total of 13 Volunteers, representing five Law Schools/departments in Dhaka, have graduated in the first batch (July-December 2012) of the HRLC.There are 20 Participants in the 2^nd Batch (January-June 2013).   

The HRLC, first of its kind in Bangladesh, is to provide a platform for training, mentoring and practices for Students-Volunteers. The areas of focus are analysis, research and writing, pro bono human rights works and legal services, legal and judicial activism among other issues. 

Related Report: 
Star Campus (21 April 2013)
 
For details, kindly visit www.sails-law.org. 

 

Project Work for the Human Rights Law Clinic

Dear Volunteers of the Human Rights Law Clinic,

We are hereby notifying you in reference to our earlier discussions.

You are expected to work on individual or group projects as part of your affiliation with the Human Rights Law Clinic (HRLC) at the South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (SAILS).

This activity aims to enhance your research, analytical, writing, communication and presentation skills among others. You will be provided required training, coaching and guidance in this regard.

The proposed activities for the project are as follows:

1. Research (on contemporary legal and human rights issues- undertake a desk/empirical research and prepare a original report of 20-25 pages);

2. Prepare a training module for an academic or a training programme;

2. Working on preparing briefs/memo/(writ) petitions;

3. Work in/with a community or group on/for a particular human rights/legal issue;

4. Work for the HRLC’s blog (http://humanrightslawclinic.blogspot.com/);

The group should be consisting of 2-3 Volunteers.

The deadline for submitting your project plan is 30 August 2012. The timeline for completion of the project is to be scheduled in consultation with the individual or group concerned.

Should you have any query, please let us know.

With best regards,

Srabani Mia

Coordinator

Human Rights Law Clinic

hrlc.sails@gmail.com 

 Volunteers of the HRLC with Mr. Rainer Ebert (07 August 2012)

Human Rights Law Clinic launched

The South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (SAILS) has initiated in July 2012 a Human Rights Law Clinic (HRLC), first of its kind in Bangladesh. This will be an ongoing activity with participation of 10 to 15 Student-Volunteers.

The Clinic is to provide a platform for training, mentoring and practices for Student-Volunteers (of Law, Human Rights and allied disciplines); the areas of focus will be analysis, research and writing, pro bono human rights works and legal services, legal and judicial activism among other issues.

It aims to train a pool of new-generation academics, activists, lawyers, practitioners and researchers with required analytical, writing and presentation skills and pro-active attitudes for promotion and protection of human rights. 

Volunteers’ Responsibilities

 

The Volunteers have been selected based on their applications detailing motivations for human rights works, interviews and availability for voluntary works. (Applications for the first batch have been sought in June 2012). 

 

The selected Volunteers have to attend series of training sessions, workshops, and seminars alongside working on their individual or group project(s) which are to be supervised by designated Mentor(s). Learning sessions (both theoretical and practical) are to be organized mainly in the afternoons and weekends.  

The outcome of the activities of the Clinic will include among others- undertaking research projects, preparing legal briefs and opinions, conducting awareness raising programmes, organizing events, and producing and dissemination of information and knowledge on Law and Human Rights through publications (i.e., blogs, newsletters, journals and websites).   

Trainers and Mentors
Renowned Academics, Jurists and Practitioners from home and abroad who have expertise and experiences to run similar activities will be providing training and mentorship.  

 

The Panel of Distinguished Guest Faculties, Mentors and Trainers:*

 

Dr. Kamal Hossain, Eminent Jurist and Chairperson, SAILS;
Professor MizanurRahman, Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh;
Professor M. Shah Alam, Chairman (Acting), Law Commission, Bangladesh;
Professor Yubaraj Sangroula, Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal;
Professor Abdullah Al Faruque, Department of Law, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh;
Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Metropolitan Additional Sessions Judge, Dhaka;
Barrister Sara Hossain, Honorary Director, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust;
Dr. Faustina Pereira, Advocate and Director, Human Rights and Legal Aid Services, BRAC;
Dr. Naim Ahmed, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh;
Dr. Sharif Bhuiyan, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and Director, SAILS;
Dr. Ridwanul Hoque, Department of Law, University of Dhaka;
Md. Zahid Hossain, National Human Rights Commission Capacity Development Project- UNDP;
Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, Human Rights Lawyer; 

 

*Subject to availability on the scheduled date.

For any query in this regard, kindly mail to info@sails-law.org , or for updates, please visit SAILS’ website at www.sails-law.org. 

 

Contact Address:

South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (SAILS)
[A UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institution of Excellence]
House No. 55, Ground Floor, Road No. 5
Dhanmondi Residential Area
Dhaka- 1205, Bangladesh

E-mail: info@sails-law.org
Phone: +880 2 9613603
http://www.sails-law.org