Study on ROLE OF LEGAL EDUCATION AWARENESS IN PROMOTING

VALUE WITHIN THE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

❖ Introduction

“As experience proves, rights are protected not by Law, but by the social and moral
conscience of society. If social conscience is such that it is prepared to recognize the
rights that the law chooses to enact, rights will be safe and secure. But if the
fundamental rights are opposed by the community, no LAW, no Parliament, no
Judiciary can guarantee them in the real sense of the word.” This is a quote given by Dr.
BR Ambedkar, which implies the multifaceted relationship between legal education,
awareness and the promotion of values in a society. The values in society like equality,
fraternity, justice, human rights form the very base of a peaceful existence, without
them there would just exist a distorted state and its dangerous consequences. Therefore,
Legal education and awareness are crucial for us to make informed decisions, navigate
the legal system and for a coherent living.[1]

❖ Meaning

Legal education:

According to the Indian Law Commission, “Legal education is a discipline that conveys
to students, knowledge of specific principles and legal provisions and enable them to
enter the legal profession.” Enabling them to enter legal profession would also include
equipping the person with skills to critically evaluate legal system, have a sound
understanding of law and justice apart from just acquiring legal knowledge.[2]

Legal Awareness

As per Multiple Action Research Group's definition, legal awareness can be defined as
"critical knowledge of legal provisions and processes, coupled with the skills to use this
knowledge to respect and realize rights and entitlements". It is about empowering the
public about the law of the land, their basic rights and duties they have towards the
nation.[3]

❖ Need and Role of legal education

In society, it's very prudent to have well-educated people. Using education and above
it, legal education can help the citizens to have checks and balances even on government
and public administration, and this will gradually help to safeguard the societal values
like equality, justice, and fraternity. The law of the land can have provisions for
protecting its people but it’s us who need to guard it. Therefore, educating ourselves
about various laws will help fulfill a solemn resolution to constitute the country into a
“sovereign socialist secular democratic republic.”

Challenges faced and the needs ahead

Since colonial rule, legal education was substandard and a neglected area and it is
unfortunate that in most countries, the court infrastructure, the amenities provided, the
resources are still not adequate. In law universities, there is lack of collaboration with
other academic disciplines like psychology, sociology, environment studies which needs
to be there to help students get holistic understanding of the legal issues. There’s also
requirement to expand legal aid services, especially for those from disadvantaged
backgrounds as the legal aid can serve as bridge between legal education and real-world
legal issues, helping in reinforcing the practical application of legal values in the
society. So, there is a dire need to strengthen legal education.

Some Developments in the field

• Campaigns like American Civil Liberties Union's "Know Your Rights" initiative
in the America contributes $1000 or more to protect civil liberties.[4]
• In India, we have National Legal Services Authority which aims to provide legal
services to the weaker sections of the society, ensure that opportunities for
securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other
disabilities, and to organize Lok Adalat.
 • LEARS is an NGO aimed at implementing global legal education programs.
Two jurists of yales law school spent a year teaching in some of selected law
schools in India.
• Kollam district of Kerala became first in India to be constitutional literate by
campaigns it conducted, if there be many campaigns like this, it will be very
fruitful for societal development.

❖ Significance of legal awareness

Legal Awareness is the need of the hour for the contemporary world, living in 21st CE,
we cannot afford anymore to be exploited by the government, lawmen and even laymen.
In India, constitution guarantees rights for accused as well like right against self-
incrimination, against double jeopardy and that he can’t be detained in custody without
being informed of the grounds of arrest and the right to choose a legal representative.
But laymen are generally unaware of these. The lack of awareness among certain groups
results in violation of their fundamental rights and they remain mostly ignorant to take
advantage of government welfare programs too.[5]

Challenges:

As per what the secretary general said in UNGA 67th session, poverty comes with many
limitations like lack of access to information and that to education. Moreover, the lack
of legal literacy creates social barriers in seeking remedy.

Steps that can be taken:

There should be programs to spread awareness, emphasis should be on the deprived

section more nukkad nataks in the remote villages be there. Technology and digital
platforms can be used to reach a wider audience. It can be utilized to address issues
from the fundamental one to data theft, privacy etc. Legal consciousness-related slogans
on the mass media can also be displayed to disseminate ideas and issues of social and
legal importance.

❖ Values in the contemporary society

Values like justice, equality, fairness, ethical behavior, and social cohesion are ensured
when we promote awareness, disseminate legal education and upheld the rule of law. If
people are aware of their fundamental and legal rights, there is a high chance they will
raise a voice against injustice and will participate in the legal system. This’ll lead to a
fair society. Legal education often consists of discussion on moral values, help promote
a sense of responsibility and also ethical behavior. It contributes to Environmental
awareness as well by informing citizenry about the Environmental laws. It can also help
in preserving cultural heritage by raising awareness through intellectual property laws
and cultural prevention laws. Hence it promotes several values in society.

❖ Conclusion

Through the study we can conclude that there exists challenges and drawbacks, but
despite that, legal education and awareness remain crucial ingredients helping to foster
justice, equality, conservation of culture, and ethical conduct and other values in the
society. By addressing lacunae and biases, we can harness complete potential of legal
education and awareness. But the gaps can only be filled when we initiate and take
responsibility to educate ourselves and others about law, moreover our own rights.

❖ References
1. English Releases.
https://pib.gov.in/newsite/erelcontent.aspx?relid=22891. Accessed 7
Sept. 2023.
2. Legal Education Meaning Role. https://www.tutorialspoint.com/legal-
education-meaning-and-role Accessed 7 Sept. 2023.
3. McDonald, Susan (1998). Public Legal Education in Ontario Legal
Clinics, MQ40664.pdf (nlc-bnc.ca)
4. “ACLU Impact Society.” American Civil Liberties Union,
https://www.aclu.org/news/topic/aclu-impact-society . Accessed 7 Sept.
2023.
5. Rights of Prisoners - Legal Vidhiya. 27 May 2023,
https://legalvidhiya.com/rights-of-prisoners/ .