Lawyers Collective

Lawyers Collective is an NGO in India which promotes human rights issues, especially issues relating to women's rights, HIV, tobacco, LGBT and parliamentary corruption in India.

Lawyers collective was founded in 1981. Among its founders were Indira Jaising and Anand Grover.

Lawyers Collective represented the Cancer Patients Aid Association in the landmark intellectual property case Novartis v. Union of India., opposing Novartis' patent for Glivec, a life-saving leukemia drug. The case has generated global attention for its impact on access to medicines worldwide. On 1 April 2013, Novartis' patent was rejected by the Supreme Court of India

The Lawyers Collective has written a bill intended for debate in parliament regarding HIV / AIDS discrimination. The purpose of the proposed law is to prohibit discrimination against persons living with HIV. The proposal describes prohibition of discrimination in employment, healthcare, and education, and further prohibits hate and discriminatory propaganda. Anand Grover is the head of the Lawyers Collective HIV/ AIDS unit.

The Lawyers Collective works closely with the Naz Foundation and acted as their legal team in their lawsuit to repeal Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

In 2006 the Lawyers Collective received a grant from the United Nations Development Fund for Women to develop a project titled "Staying Alive – Empowerment through Law." The purpose of this project was to provide legal resources to promote women's rights in the Indian legal system.

On Jun 1 2016, Govt of India suspended the FCRA registration of the NGO for alleged violation of FCRA norms for 6 months pending further procedure. Lawyers Collective in a statement said that it intends to take the matter to the court.

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