First Nations peoples in WA are receiving improved justice outcomes thanks to a carefully-considered strategic focus on the system's most vulnerable.
Two years ago, Legal Aid WA took a major step towards realising its vision of equitable treatment and access to justice for First Nations peoples in WA, launching its first strategic plan called Jalba – Coming Together.
There were 51 actions devised in the plan however at its core, Jalba was having more First Nations workers in Legal Aid offices and less Indigenous people in jail.
Legal Aid has already achieved 30 of the actions, the latest being Legal Yarn, the first free First Nations legal information and referral call centre of its kind in Australia.
Clients can access Legal Yarn through a dedicated number and develop referral pathways and relationships through collaboration with other partner organisations.
Legal Aid WA lawyer and First Nations coordinator Michelle Sims said at the heart of Jalba was a commitment to increasing Aboriginal staffing levels to better reflect the diversity of clients, and to collaborate with Aboriginal-led organisations to ensure cultural and language considerations were prioritised and respected.
"We know that being an Aboriginal person is the second largest contributing factor to being a Legal Aid WA client after disability, and about 27 per cent of our clients identify as First Nations people," the Yamatji Wadjarri woman said.
First Nation clients who call Legal Yarn immediately speak with a First Nations officer, providing a culturally safe environment with a view to providing legal services and wraparound, First Nation-specific referrals.
"It has been created and led by our staff – by mob for mob - they were the catalyst and they have played a leading role in all the discussions and successfully bringing the service to life," Ms Sims said.
"We know that First Nations people face disproportionate levels of interaction with the justice system, which can be challenging to navigate without assistance.
"While our existing telephone line is there to support all callers, there was clear evidence that Aboriginal callers sometimes felt more comfortable speaking with fellow First Nations mob."
The response to the six-month trial was encouraging with more than 1,700 callers actively seeking the support of these dedicated operators, evenly split between family matters, civil law support, criminal law issues, and help with grants of aid.
"I remember one client I represented was referred from the Legal Yarn team," Ms Sims said.
"She had been racially profiled and unfairly targeted by police. The Legal Yarn information officer referred her to me and I was able to represent her, resulting in her matter being discontinued."
Another goal of Legal Aid WA's strategic plan was to achieve five per cent First Nations staffing by 2024 and 10 per cent by 2027; currently its about to pass eight per cent, ahead of target.
First Nations peoples who requires the free and confidential Legal Yarn service can call 1800 319 803.
The Legal Yarn initiative comes hot on the heels of a major national law firm, community legal services and pro bono lawyers joining forces to provide free wills for First Nations Peoples in WA's East Kimberley region.
