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The Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA) is one of Sierra Leone's newest but promising Human Rights Institution. LAWCLA was established in March 2001 partly due to a concern by the founders about the deplorable human rights situation in the country and the limited access to justice and the Law by the majority of victims of Human Rights abuses and violations especially indigent members of the society.

LAWCLA is an independent, non-Political, non-Profit making, Public Interest Human Rights Law Centre, which among other things provides free Legal services to poor members of the public.

LAWCLA's mission is "to make the Law and Justice more accessible to indigent members of the Public through Legal Advice, Impact Litigation and Research".

LAWCLA's human rights work is unique in one respect, that it is Sierra Leone's first and only organization to date fighting for Social Justice and involved in Public Interest Litigation and providing Pro Bono Legal Services. This is appreciated against the fact that human rights work by the vast majority of Local groups in the country is limited to monitoring, reporting and community Education and Sensitization.

As a non-Profit Making Institution, the Centre is dependent upon donation and grants from a variety of International sources.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance, being a public interest human rights law Centre endeavors to make the law and justice more accessible to indigent members of the Public through Legal Advice, Impact Litigation and Research, with the ultimate aim of Protecting and Promoting Human Rights through Law in Sierra Leone.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The Centre is guided by the following aims and objectives:

• To pursue strategic test cases bordering on human rights abuses and violation of the domestic courts, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and institutions established to protect Human Rights generally.
• To pursue strategic constitutional test cases through the domestic courts.
• To undertake impact litigation on behalf of indigent members of the public.
• To provide legal advice to National Human Rights groups and institutions, and to liaise with them in the monitoring and documentation of Human Rights violations and abuses in Sierra Leone.
• To facilitate the training of law enforcement and public officials, in Human Rights
• To facilitate and promote research on human rights issues.
• To advocate for the ratification and domestic implementation, by Sierra Leone and International Human Rights instruments.
• To develop and maintain a resource centre of Public law, Human Rights law, Constitutional Law and other materials, for use by its staff, researchers, human rights lawyers, academics, students and members of the public.
• To produce a half-yearly newsletter, articles and reports covering the field of constitutional and criminal law with particular focus on Gender, Juvenile and Environmental issues.

 FUNDERS

The Centre has received funding for its activities from the following institutions:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

The United Nations Children Fund-Sierra Leone (UNICEF)

The Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)

The Department for International Development (DFID-UK)

The Doen Foundation

The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)

The Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance - Sierra Leone - welcomes your financial and Technical support. Our ability to continue and expand the work of the centre depends upon the support we receive from foundations, organizations, individuals and visitors like you.

If you can and want to help, please use the contact information below.

Thank you.


CONTACT INFORMATION

Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance
15D Old Railway Line
Brookfields, Freetown
Sierra Leone
Tel: +232-22-240440
Fax: +232-22-236019
Email: lawclasl@yahoo.co.uk