Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "News: Not the Yellow Pages; ALS Demands for Full-Time Field Officers; Aboriginal Lawyers" [1985] AboriginalLawB 54; (1985) 1(15) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 10

• News
• Not The Yellow Pages
• Als Demands For Full-Time Field Officers
• Aboriginal Lawyers

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News

Not the Yellow Pages

In the early times of 1981 the Aboriginal Law Research Unit (ALRU) collated, printed and distributed free an Aboriginal Legal Services Directory. This was revised in 1983 and now over two years later the names and addresses have again changed or dispersed, so it is time for a new one.

ALRU has planned to produce a more comprehensive directory. The new almanac will cover not only Aboriginal Legal Services per se, but Land Councils, Department of Aboriginal Affairs, State Aboriginal authorities and various other bodies which have legal services dealing with Aboriginal matters.

The directory is necessary because it will encourage and enable those people working on legal questions or subjects to communicate with others. This fosters a flow of information, experience, solidarity and maybe some socialising.

For the directory to be successful it needs the simple co-operation of all legal workers to fill in the two sheets (maybe fen minutes) and make sure it is completed and returned to ALRU.

Comments and suggestions will be welconed so please chase up that form and move it through the process.

Enquiries: Alastair 697-2256, Garth 697-2252, Tony 697-2224.

ALS Demands for Full-Time Field Officers

The June Kimberley Land Council newsletter (Vol 5, No.1, p. 31) contains an article by Ivan McPhee, a part-time field officer for the ALS in Fitzroy Crossing, that comments on the inadequacy of an ALS that has no full-time field officers or interpreters.

Mr McPhee talks of distorted justice and little legal representation before the courts if there are no interpreters or field officers present. He believes, 'Most Aboriginal people do not understand the charges which are laid against them, nor the reasons for them.' Mr McPhee then comments on the marked increase in the number of Aboriginal people appearing in the Fitzroy Crossing Court over the past few months and the urgent minimum need for the ALS to gain a full-time field officer's position and an interpreter.

Aboriginal Lawyers

Irene Watson recently became the first South Auslralian Aborigine to receive a law degree. Not only is she a lawyer but a married mother. In a newspaper article (Advertiser, 2 May 1985) she believed 'her battle in life lies with the most daunting opposition of all, "public opinion". Nungas are squashed and squeezed by public opinion. We are forever a minority without an economic base. We cannot muster public opinion in our favour because we are working in direct conflict with multi-nationals.'

Lorraine Liddle has recently completed her Bachelor of Law degree at the University of New South Wales and is currently undertaking practical legal training at the College of Law in Sydney.