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A new project, funded by the federal government, will communicate legal advice to people in remote communities using visual arts and storytelling.
The Blurred Borders project, launched in Kununurra last week by West Australian Senator Dean Smith, will rely on the use of art and storytelling to assist frontline legal assistance staff in helping those in remote communities to better understand legal advice, and thereby be able to communicate effectively about the law themselves.
Attorney-General Christian Porter said the government had provided almost $160,000 towards the project and a rolled-out community legal education resources kit, which was developed by Legal Aid Western Australia.
“Blurred Borders draws on the strong cultural ties that have long existed between these cross-border communities and their rich traditions in the arts and storytelling to communicate legal information in a way that is more accessible and can more easily be understood,” he said.
Senator Smith added: “This is a fantastic and innovative project that will help people engage with the justice system, and to understand their legal rights, protections and responsibilities.”
“Training in the use of the kit has been provided to frontline legal assistance staff in several communities, and there is a strong sense that the approach we are taking will make a real difference to people and the communities in which they live,” he said.
The project is being funded through the Community Legal Services Program that falls under the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.
The “multifaceted” kit flagged also includes child protection resources and technology providing access to online legal resources, Mr Porter’s department said.
Blurred Borders has been developed, the department noted, with the assistance of the federal government, Legal Aid Western Australia, Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission, Kimberley Community Legal Services, Aboriginal Family Law Services, Aboriginal Legal Service of WA, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, North Australian Aboriginal Family Law Services, and Katherine Women’s Information Legal Services.
Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in New South Wales, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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Jerome Doraisamy
