ACCESS TO JUSTICE

1. Legal Aid Support

LACC has been Nepal’s first and leading provider of free legal aid services since 1987. In 1999, it launched the Women’s Rights Helpline, the first of its kind in the country, to provide immediate support to survivors of gender-based, domestic, sexual, and economic violence. Through this helpline and its dedicated team of senior legal aid officers, legal aid officers, paralegals, and young lawyers, LACC offers comprehensive services including legal counseling, evidence documentation, case preparation, and court representation. From its inception, LACC’s legal aid team has served as frontline human rights defenders, protecting the rights of women and children across Nepal.

2. Paralegal Support

Paralegal support is another cornerstone of LACC’s work. Trained paralegals play a critical role in ensuring survivors are equipped with the necessary documentation to pursue justice. They assist survivors in collecting vital documents such as citizenship and property records, securing recommendations from local authorities, and gathering other information essential for case preparation and representation.

3. Psychosocial Support

Recognizing that survivors often endure deep trauma, LACC provides psychosocial counseling through trained professionals. Survivors referred by legal aid officers receive tailored counseling sessions, with medical referrals when necessary. This integrated approach ensures that survivors receive holistic support such as legal, emotional, and psychological on their path to justice.

One survivors mother shared: “I am the mother of a 9-year-old rape survivor. Due to the legal aid services of LACC, I was able to secure 25 years of imprisonment for the perpetrator. However, on September 9, during the Gen Z movement, the perpetrator escaped from prison. I couldn’t sleep that night and called my lawyer, Chandeshwori madam. She invited me to the office and took me to a psychosocial counseling session offer at LACC. That session gave me relief and saved my life.”

A survivor of domestic violence reflected: “I was about to divorce my husband, but due to your psychosocial counseling session, my 25 years married life was saved. Thank you.”

Another family member expressed: “I tried many times to take her to the hospital for treatment, but she always said no, and we fought constantly. I was about to give up on our relationship. However, the psychosocial counselor identified her problem and referred her to the hospital for advanced treatment. Now she is taking medicine as well psychosocial sessions, and our relationship is improving. Thank you for providing legal aid along with psychosocial and medical support.” Survivor’s husband

4. Strengthening Referral Systems

LACC collaborates with justice sector institutions, government agencies, service providers, and civil society organizations to strengthen referral systems. Survivors are connected to shelters, education, or other essential services based on their needs, ensuring timely, safe, and survivor-centered support.

5. Pro Bono Services

In addition to its direct services, LACC provides pro bono legal support and advocates nationally and internationally for the institutionalization of pro bono culture. As co-organizer of the 8th Asia Pro Bono Conference in 2018, LACC continues to champion access to justice for marginalized communities, offering support even to those outside its formal beneficiary categories.

5. Mobile Legal Camps

To reach remote and underserved communities, LACC conducts mobile legal camps that deliver instant counseling and legal support directly to people’s doorsteps. These camps bridge the gap between communities and institutions, ensuring that justice systems are fair, accountable, and responsive to all citizens.

6. Research, Study, Law and Policy Review

Through legal reviews, research, and practice, LACC identifies gaps in existing laws and implementation and the need for new legislation, particularly addressing barriers faced by women and children from poor and marginalized communities. It supports the analysis, reform, and drafting of gender-sensitive laws and policies that protect and promote rights and enhance access to justice particularly for women, children and marginalized population.

7. Advocacy and Lobbying

LACC leads strategic, evidence-based advocacy and lobbying efforts for policy reform. This includes amending existing laws, introducing new legislation, and ensuring effective implementation of policies that directly impact women, youth, and marginalized communities. By working closely with formal and informal justice actors and duty bearers, LACC aims to drive systemic change and ensure inclusive, equitable, and gender-responsive justice at all levels. Our key advocacy initiatives include:

Writ Petitions and Public Interest Litigation

Building on gaps identified through research, law reviews, and policy analysis, LACC leverages constitutional tools to advocate for systemic reforms through writ petitions and strategic public interest litigation (PIL).

Notable cases include:

Punyashila Dawadi vs. Government of Nepal (071-WO-0753): Filed by LACC’s legal aid lawyer demanding interim relief for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. The Supreme Court ordered the government to enact new laws, which were later incorporated into the Crime Victim Protection Act 2075.
Anita Neupane Thapalia vs. Government of Nepal: Filed by LACC’s legal aid lawyer demanding new legislation to protect inheritance rights of families of missing persons. The Supreme Court directed the government to legislate protections, now incorporated into the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act.
Manju Marasini vs. Government of Nepal (080-WO-0982): On behalf of LACC, a writ petition was filed against the Government of Nepal. On 17 August 2025, the Supreme Court issued an order of mandamus directing implementation of the writ. The case concerned the provision of social security allowances to women from the Badi community, who had been deprived of such allowances due to vital registration issues.

Similarly, numerous victims have secured justice through LACC’s PIL interventions, demonstrating its critical role in advancing systemic reforms.

Campaigning and Awareness

LACC organizes public campaigns to raise awareness, challenge discriminatory norms, and promote legal empowerment. Its advocacy is grounded in data and evidence, utilizing research, case studies, data analysis, and grassroots insights to inform and influence policy decisions. It conducts rally, protest and mass and open space advocacy to draw attention and pressurize relevant stakeholders for gender responsive policy, practice and justice.

Media Mobilization

Media mobilization is another powerful tool in LACC’s advocacy strategy. Articles, YouTube videos, television talk shows, radio programs, and social media platforms are strategically employed to amplify policy advocacy messages.

Memoranda and Direct Advocacy

LACC publishes public notices, submits memoranda, and conducts one-to-one advocacy meetings with relevant agencies to protect and promote human rights and gender-responsive justice.

Policy Dialogues and Multi-Stakeholder Consultations

LACC conducts policy dialogues at local, provincial, and federal levels to share insights from its community work and services. Research findings, policy reviews, and briefs are disseminated through multi-stakeholder consultations and dialogues. These dialogues provide space to share best practices, challenges faced by rights holders, and to seek accountability from duty bearers. The platforms foster inclusive discussions among government bodies, legal institutions, and civil society actors, creating opportunities to share challenges, best practices, and success stories for policy reform, implementation, and replication.

Conclusion

Through its Access to Justice theme, LACC has established itself as a trailblazer in Nepal’s justice sector. Its integrated model combining legal aid, paralegal and psychosocial support, referral systems, litigation, pro bono advocacy, and mobile outreach ensures that survivors are not only protected but also empowered to reclaim their rights. LACC’s vision is clear: to build a justice system that is inclusive, survivor-centered, and transformative, where no woman or child is left behind.