John Chesterman

During our first century as a nation, citizenship—for a majority of Australians—has meant the enjoyment of progressive political, social, economic and legal rights. Yet many groups in our society have been denied the usual benefits of citizenship, including; the vote; equality before the law; fre...

'Law for the Poor' and 'Lawyers for the People' declared the headlines that announced the opening of the Fitzroy Legal Service in December 1972. In a dingy town-hall basement in one of the poorest suburbs of Melbourne, this new legal service set out to do the unthinkable: to provide free legal ad...