Over 60 jails and 1,000 PDLs attended the Kaalaman, Karunungan, at Karapatan, an online human rights symposium in partnership with the Ateneo Law School Clinical Legal Education Program, on January 9, 2024.
Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) law students from Ateneo Law School conducted an online symposium entitled “Kaalaman, Karunungan, atKarapatan” which allowed persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to know and understand different topics such as the Safe Spaces Act and the Good Conduct Time Allowance.
CLEP law students said “As human beings or individuals part of the society, regardless of our status in life, it is important to know and learn about the rights that are inherent in us. As students of the law, we want to serve the people by fighting for their rights and to fight against injustice in our society”.
“We believe that holding this symposium will be very useful and essential for those who are deprived of their liberty and separated from society. By allowing them to know and understand the law as well as to learn more from the lessons imparted to us by our guest speakers, this symposium will be impactful for persons deprived of liberty and even the jail officers who are maintaining, operating, protecting the people behind bars and ensuring their safety”.
HLAF provides an experiential learning opportunity for the Ateneo CLEP law students. By involving them in facilitating such learning sessions, HLAF is offering them practical exposure to legal advocacy and community engagement. HLAF believes this hands-on experience can significantly enhance their understanding of real-world legal challenges and increase their empathy and understanding of the needs of marginalized communities, thereby shaping them into more compassionate and effective legal practitioners in the future.
Additionally, this initiative promotes access to justice for PDLs. By organizing educational symposiums, HLAF is ensuring that PDLs are informed about their rights under relevant laws and regulations. This knowledge empowers them to make more informed decisions about their legal situation, including understanding the mechanisms that may lead to reduced sentences or improved conditions inside correctional facilities.
Furthermore, it helps in fostering a more inclusive and just legal system. By engaging with PDLs and educating them about their rights, HLAF and the participating law students contribute to mitigating the information gap and ensuring that the legal system is accessible to all, regardless of their current circumstances.
HLAF, and the Ateneo CLEP, in this collaborative learning initiative, benefit both the PDLs and the law students, building a more informed community and nurturing the next generation of legal professionals with a strong sense of social responsibility and commitment to justice.
