The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia is working to increase understanding of legal matters in First Nations communities, in response to growing numbers of Indigenous people imprisoned in WA.

In Australia’s criminal justice system, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are disproportionately overrepresented, currently accounting for 37% of all persons in custody. Mid-year figures from the ABS show that the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in prison is up 6% from the 2024 December quarter.

Law Matters is an informative fortnightly radio program produced by the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (ALSWA) centred around the complex legal issues faced by First Nations Peoples.  

It is produced and presented by ALSWA’s public relations and media manager, Kaurna Narungga woman Jodi Hoffmann.

Ms Hoffmann describes Law Matters as a magazine-format, yarning-style legal program with the key objective of ensuring that vital information about legal and human rights can be easily and widely accessed.

Currently in its 15^th year on air, Law Matters is broadcast via the National Indigenous Radio Services (NIRS), 100.9FM Noongar Radio, Waringarri Media in WA’s East Kimberley and 6DBY Radio in Derby WA.

Broadcasting on NIRS means that the ALSWA can reach a national audience, not only in capital cities but also in remote and regional areas, Ms Hoffmann said this allows the program to inform the rest of the country about the justice issues in WA and the ongoing struggle and injustice faced by so many people accessing ALSWA’s services.

Image: Law Matters Infographic. Supplied by ALSWA

Ms Hoffmann has been the ALSWA’s public relations and media manager for 20 years and previously worked at 720ABC Perth.

She said: “Law Matters features a wide range of interview topics, including deaths in custody, over policing and over-incarceration, discrimination, intergenerational trauma following colonisation, human rights, poverty, raising the age of criminal responsibility, the ongoing trauma faced by our Stolen Generations, disadvantage, the conditions of WA prisons and youth detention centres, racism … the list goes on.”

The program, which has been acknowledged with multiple awards including recognition from the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia and the First Nations Media Awards has remained steadfast over the last 15 years despite ALSWA often operating in the face of adversity.

“The ALSWA has always operated in the face of much adversity,” Ms Hoffman said, despite the demand for ALSWA’s services continuing to grow.

Image: Jodi Hoffmann ALSWA Public Relations/Media Manager. Supplied by ALSWA

The ALSWA has often called on both the State and Federal Government for more support.

In March of this year, ALSWA suffered from a fire at its head office in Perth which caused damage to much of the building and the temporary displacement of around 100 Perth-based staff. The WA Government responded with a $250,000 Act of Grace payment to address the urgent costs of recovering from the fire and to enable them to continue their critical service delivery.

A spokesperson from the WA Attorney General’s Department said ALSWA also receives a mix of State and Commonwealth funding, ensuring disadvantaged West Australians have equal access to justice. breaking it down they said: “The State also facilitates ALSWA’s Commonwealth baseline funding of $132.5 million over five years to deliver core services to First Nations people with legal needs.”

Ms Hoffmann said ALSWA will always continue to strive for Justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: “The impact of Law Matters is a positive one, because it delivers empowering legal information and creates a greater understanding about the complexity of issues facing our people within the justice system.”

All Law Matters programs can be accessed on the ALSWA website .