Nicholas Stewart

Nicholas Stewart is the Vice President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and a partner at Dowson Turco Lawyers. Nicholas was awarded the prestigious Law Society of NSW President’s Medal for 2022, for playing an instrumental role in the establishment of a Special Commission of Inquiry into gay and transgender hate crimes.

Nicholas’ first program with DTP was the online program with Indonesian human rights advocates in 2021. He returned more recently to share his knowledge and expertise in a special human rights and advocacy program for leaders of diverse diaspora communities in Sydney.

Nicholas has a high opinion of DTP.

“DTP is run by people who are well-versed in international diplomacy, and who are passionate about the rights and freedoms set forth in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, vis a vis, that all people should be treated without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status”.

Nicholas strongly believes that DTP training contributes in advancing human rights. The program for migrants and refugees brought together Uyghur, Tamil, Khmer, Karen, Arabic and other community leaders in NSW. It was organised in partnership with the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS).

“DTP’s training contributes to advancing human rights advocacy because, without it, many individuals or groups seeking to bring about human rights will not have the knowledge or skills to articulate their ideas, build frameworks for change, or identify human rights laws and systems that can be of use. The DTP teaches these principles, but also helps participants to manage complex negotiations with those in power. I enjoy being a trainer because I have decades of experience working in diplomacy and human rights, and I want to ensure that my knowledge and skills are passed onto communities seeking to effect human rights changes in their homelands. I enjoyed my interactions with the participants in training and felt inspired by their stories and passion for change.”

When asked why Nicholas is passionate about human rights, he said that his passion is grounded in his status as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I have experienced discrimination, harassment, and vilification in society, but I am lucky to have a supportive family and an education that allows me to lead change. I am in a position where I can help less powerful people in our society.”

Nicholas’s passion led him to campaign for investigations and inquiries into unsolved murders of gay men and transgender people in New South Wales, as well as hate crimes committed against lesbians, bisexual and queer people. His groundbreaking work has led to two parliamentary inquiries, and a judicial commission of inquiry, in NSW.

Nicholas was able to share some of the lessons of his own successful advocacy with participants in the program. Nicholas says that he is now working to bring about similar inquiries in other states and territories, but he believes that a federal royal commission would be the most effective framework to obtain truth and justice.

“It is essential for New South Wales and Australia to conduct these inquiries because many people who have committed crimes against the LGBTQ communities walk among us, with impunity. By looking at how society treated the LGBTQ community in the past, we can make laws to protect them in the future, and lead society on a path of acceptance and inclusion.”

When asked about his vision for human rights and justice, Nicholas said that he hopes for an Australian Human Rights Act and a human rights framework in Australia that allows for complainants to be heard, and for disputes to be resolved according to international human rights principles.