Taylor’s Legal Aid Centre launched

(From left) Prof. Dr. Hassan, Ragunath Kesavan, law students and Dr. Rajeswari Kanniah at the ribbon-cutting ceremony

People seeking legal advice now have access to pro bono legal services at Taylor’s Lakeside.

The Taylor’s Legal Aid Centre, launched last month, is the first of its kind to be established by a law school of a private university in Malaysia.

Working in collaboration with the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre, this community project aims to reach out to the public, especially the underprivileged.

President of the Malaysian Bar Ragunath Kesavan commended Taylor’s for the huge impact this would have on the students, staff and surrounding communities.

“The launch ... is an important step towards our objective to ensure that justice remains within reach for all,” he said.

The Legal Aid Centre is managed by the Dean of Taylor’s Law School Dr. Rajeswari Kanniah, two law lecturers and its students.

Dr. Rajeswari said that besides helping the community, the legal aid centre would give Taylor’s law students practical experience.

“The idea is to give our students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom,” she said.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. Hassan, who was also at the launch, said the centre provided an avenue for students to apply their textbook knowledge to real life legal problems.

“We aspire to instill a sense of responsibility among our students toward the community while emphasizing that the legal profession is a noble one,” he added.

The law students at the Legal Aid Centre will research the issue and prepare legal advice, which will then be vetted by the Bar Council before being presented to the client.

Taylor’s Law Society Vice-President Joel Ryan Lee said the Centre was their pride and joy.

“We hope this contribution of ours will truly help those who are in desperate legal need,” he said.

Legal assistance provided by Taylor’s Legal Aid Centre is limited to advice and does not cover legal representation in courts or tribunals.

Areas in which advice is available are matters under the Consumer Protection Act, landlord and tenancy matters, financial matters, family law matters and employment matters.

All criminal law matters will be referred to the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre or the National Legal Aid Foundation.

The Taylor’s Legal Aid Centre is in operation from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday to the public.

(By Michelle Chun)