John Chesterman
John Chesterman is an Australian lawyer and public official who has served as the Public Advocate for Queensland since 2021. The Public Advocate is a statutory role focused on systemic advocacy for the rights and interests of adults with impaired decision-making capacity and related safeguarding issues.
Career
Chesterman has worked across academia and public advocacy. Before his Queensland appointment, he served in Victoria's Office of the Public Advocate, including as Deputy Public Advocate. University of Melbourne sources describe him as a trained lawyer who lectured in politics for more than eight years prior to joining the Victorian Office of the Public Advocate.In Queensland, Chesterman has been publicly associated with reforms relating to adult safeguarding and elder abuse, including contributions to policy debate through public lectures and sector events.
Publications and commentary
Chesterman has written on human rights and adult safeguarding. He is a co-author of The Politics of Human Rights in Australia.In 2019 he published an article, The future of adult safeguarding in Australia, in the Australian Journal of Social Issues. He has also contributed public-facing writing on adult safeguarding, including an essay published by Griffith Review in 2024.