Aboriginal interpreters in WA's north say more engagement with police is necessary after revelations regarding the wrongful conviction of an Indigenous man emerged in a coronial inquest last week.
The inquest into the death of Joshua Warneke in 2010 conducted hearings in Broome and Perth and concluded this month.
Kiwirrkurra man Gene Gibson was wrongfully convicted of killing Mr Warneke, who was found dead on Old Broome Road. A subsequent Corruption and Crime Commission report slammed the police investigation, noting, among other factors, that Mr Gibson was not provided a qualified interpreter.
Aboriginal Interpreting WA chief executive Deanne Lightfoot told the ABC the group visited Mr Warneke's memorial on Friday to pay their respects.
"We wanted to come and honour young Joshua and his family … also in recognition of our long and tireless commitment [that] we'll never give up the fight for language rights and equal understanding for everyone through interpreters," she said.
"We don't want to see this case repeated, so we'd just like to be at the forefront of people's minds... We'd like interpreters to be seen as a right and to be engaged."
Mr Warneke's mother Ingrid Bishop told the ABC there was still a "long way to go" to ensure the rights of Aboriginal people and non-English speaking people were consistently protected.
"I too, am tired of the rhetoric and white noise, and cases like Josh's are a way to drive change unequivocally. It's not a hard procedure to implement as mandatory, it just needs to be done," she said.
"Regions like the Kimberley and Pilbara should be leading global better-practice regarding Aboriginal peoples' human rights."
AIWA co-chair Valma Banks, who assists the Broome Courthouse in Jaru and Kriol languages, told the ABC interpreters could be better utilised.
"Our role is still not really recognised enough, so many of our people are language speakers and they need to have interpreters," she said.
Aboriginal Interpreting WA chairperson Robert Nanala told the national broadcaster the justice system could do more to use interpreters to advance the cause of justice.
"They booked me to come into Broome for my people … we have a really good magistrate and we work every Monday in his court. This needs to happen everywhere too," he said.
The organisation's director, Annette Kogolo, said the failings in Mr Gibson's case exposed by the inquest reinforced the importance of police collaborating with Aboriginal interpreters and other community services.
"There has been an increased awareness of the language policy and requirements and we have collaborated with the police. They now have an app with the speed dial for our office," she told the ABC.
A WA Police spokesperson said in addition to "the continual improvement of policies, procedures and training", the introduction of the Custody Notification Service and development of the Yarning App "highlight the ongoing commitment to finding ways to ensure all persons who interact with WA Police are treated fairly and equally".
