This is a submission for the DEV Weekend Challenge: Community

The Community

This project is built for the general public in India — everyday citizens who often have a very limited or poor understanding of laws, especially how they are interpreted and applied in real life. Misunderstandings frequently lead to exploitation, unnecessary legal troubles, or harassment by bad actors (landlords, employers, police, etc.). Many people hesitate to seek help due to complexity, cost, or fear, so this tool aims to democratize access to constitutional rights and basic legal knowledge for the masses.

What I Built

Kanoon Mera Kawach ("Law is My Shield") is a mobile app that lets users quickly look up provisions from the Indian Constitution, with plans to expand to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other key laws. It includes:

• A clean, searchable law database
• A social discussion forum where users can ask questions, share experiences, and discuss legal issues
• Automatic grouping of discussions (similar to subreddits or community categories) to keep conversations organized and focused

The goal is to give the common person an accessible way to understand their rights, avoid common pitfalls, and engage in informed community discussions — reducing misinformation and empowering people to stand up for themselves.

Demo

Here’s a quick video walkthrough of the app in action:

(If the embed doesn't load, direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIqJ4L53XSk)

Code

The full source code is open on GitHub:

Feel free to clone, explore, or contribute!

How I Built It

• Frontend/Mobile: Built with React Native using Expo for fast development and cross-platform support (iOS + Android).
• Data Source: Currently pulls from the excellent open-source Constitution of India JSON by CivicTech India. Future plans include integrating the Indian Penal Code JSON and more statutes.
• Visuals: All icons and graphics are custom SVGs generated with Claude AI to avoid any copyright concerns.
• Backend & Auth: Firebase handles user authentication (email/social login), real-time database for discussions/comments, and storage for any future user-uploaded content.
• Other: Focused on simplicity and offline-friendly design where possible (e.g., caching law texts).

This was a fun weekend sprint to prototype something meaningful for a real societal need. Would love feedback — especially ideas for expanding the law database or improving the discussion features!

Thanks for checking it out, and thanks to the DEV team for running this Community challenge!