It's Wednesday morning and a stark blue TV screen inside an Alice Springs court is filled with a list of names. Donella Clarke looks and shakes her head."Got a couple today self-representing, so see how that goes." The Luritja/Pintupi interpreter has been working for the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) in Alice Springs courts for almost 10 years. She understands seven Aboriginal languages, speaks two, and officially interprets Luritja/Pintupi.
For the first time in her career, she is seeing people face the court system without lawyers. People charged with crimes — from driving offences to more serious charges — are being forced to navigate the justice system alone.Ms Clarke loves her job. It's a crucial role in the Northern Territory that helps Indigenous people who speak English as a second language get fair access to the justice system. "It's filling them gaps, with understanding Aboriginal and white man's way. So you bring that together, then you have no worries of understanding," she sai