A Sydney lawyer instrumental in the establishment of a Special Commission of Inquiry into gay and transgender hate crimes has been awarded the prestigious Law Society of NSW President’s Medal for 2022.

President of the Law Society of NSW Joanne van der Plaat awarded the honour to Nicholas Stewart, a partner of Sydney firm Dowson Turco, during the Society’s Annual Members Dinner and inaugural Awards Night held last week.

“The unsolved homicides and serious assaults on our LGBTQIA+ community, especially in the four decades from 1970, remain a blight on our community. Mr Stewart’s tireless campaign for a judicial inquiry gave voice to those victims silenced by the crimes committed against them,” van der Plaat said.

“Through his membership of the Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Mr Stewart has made invaluable contributions to the legal profession in NSW, being instrumental in revising the Society’s Charter for the Advancement of Women. He has also been active in mentoring women practitioners and law students.”

The first ever Law Society Awards recognise and celebrate the tireless contributions of the Society’s most exceptional members who reflect its values of commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.

Nicholas heads up the criminal and commercial law teams at Dowson Turco. He joined the firm in January 2012 after working for a top tier firm as a corporate lawyer and working as in-house counsel at a large digital media company and a large telecommunications company.

He has spent years campaigning for a special inquiry into gay hate crimes in NSW. The inquiry is currently underway. Stewart has represented Alan Rosendale, a 1989 gay bashing victim, on a pro-bono basis.

OIP Staff

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