Dowson Turco Lawyers

03/09/2026

On 13 September, the team at Dowson Turco Lawyers will be lacing up our walking shoes and coming together to call out violence against women and children.

Domestic and family violence is a national issue, tragically killing 1 woman every 11 days. Behind the statistic are real families, friends, colleagues and communities left to carry unimaginable grief.

No one should have to choose between safety and having a roof over their head. No child should have to live in fear. But for many, escaping violence means leaving everything behind including their home, belongings, work, schooling, and the supports that make day-to-day life possible.

Your donation will help ensure women and children can access:

• Safe accommodation when they need to leave urgently
• Crisis assistance and support services
• Ongoing help to recover from trauma, regain stability, and rebuild their lives

If you are able to, please make a donation and sponsor our walk. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps send a clear message that violence is never acceptable, and women and children facing it are not alone.

Let’s stand together for safety, support and change.

03/09/2026

ASIO's Compulsory Questioning Powers Expanded: What Does It Mean for Australians?

The Federal Parliament has passed legislation extending ASIO's controversial compulsory questioning regime for a further three years, while significantly broadening the circumstances in which those powers can be exercised.

The expanded laws now permit ASIO to compel questioning not only in relation to espionage, foreign interference and politically motivated violence, but also matters involving sabotage, attacks on Australia's defence systems, promotion of communal violence, and serious threats to Australia's territorial and border integrity.

Importantly, a person does not have to be suspected of committing a criminal offence to be subject to an ASIO questioning warrant. Individuals can be legally required to answer questions and produce information or documents, with failure to comply potentially carrying penalties of up to five years' imprisonment.

The regime also continues to permit the questioning of minors as young as 14 years of age in certain national security matters.

Supporters of the legislation argue that evolving national security threats require strong intelligence-gathering powers. Critics, however, have raised concerns about civil liberties, transparency, procedural fairness and the breadth of powers available to an intelligence agency operating largely outside public scrutiny.

The reforms highlight the ongoing tension between national security objectives and the protection of fundamental legal rights. As Australia's security landscape continues to evolve, the debate over the appropriate limits of government power remains as important as ever.

At Dowson Turco Lawyers, we closely monitor developments in criminal and national security law and their impact on individual rights and freedoms.

03/09/2026

Australians who went electric after war in the Middle East broke out have so far saved tens of millions of dollars at the bowser.

02/09/2026

Following a successful 12-month trial, the NSW Government has announced that drug checking will continue at selected music festivals from October.

Up to 15 festivals each year will be able to offer free and anonymous drug checking, allowing festival-goers to have a small sample analysed and receive information about what it contains, along with harm-reduction advice.

The independent evaluation found the trial reduced drug-related harm, including an association with fewer urgent drug-related hospital presentations and ICU admissions.

But it is important to remember: pill testing does not make drugs legal or safe. Possession and supply of illicit drugs remain offences in NSW.

We welcome approaches to drug policy that are grounded in evidence, harm reduction and keeping people safe.

Remember, if you are charged with possession or supply, the DTL crime team is ready to help. Contact us at 02 8000 7300 or via the contact form on our website.

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

Welcome to the community Hunter!

Hunter Biden has gone viral after joking about being “48.5% gay” in a recent interview.

In an 80-minute chat with Luke Beasley, a gay progressive political commentator, Biden was asked if he was gay too.

Biden replied: “Only a little bit.” When Beasley pressed him on whether he was more or less than 50 per cent gay, Biden answered: “48.6%,” though the figure kept changing as the pair continued speaking.

At another point, he joked that his “gaydom” had dropped to 47%. Near the end of the interview, he returned to the running total, saying: “I just want to let you know that I am back up to 48.5% gay.”

📷 Getty

01/09/2026

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese outsider artist who reached superstar status after decades living in a psychiatric hospital, has died aged 97.

Kusama died in a Tokyo hospital on 14 August. Her death was announced by her studio in a statement on her website.

“Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant-garde artist whose creative practice encompassed visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry,” the statement read. “She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul.”

“We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world.”

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/aug/27/yayoi-kusama-dies-aged-97-artist-dead?CMP=soc_567

01/09/2026

Induction stoves:
✅ Lower temperatures
✅ Better for human health
✅ Lower bills
✅ Better for the planet

“Leaping flames, searing heat, copious sweat and scorchingly inventive swearing – restaurant kitchens are never a place for the faint-hearted, but this summer they have been sweltering in successive heatwaves to a dangerous degree.

Some restaurants, cafes and bakeries in the UK grew so hot that they were forced to close, or reduce their hours, for the safety of their staff. There is still no maximum working temperature, despite calls from the TUC, and tens of thousands of kitchen staff are thought to have carried on working in “furnace-like” conditions.

Now a number of chefs are calling for one route to cooling kitchens that may be deeply unpopular with some of their colleagues. Swapping gas hobs for electric induction cooking can reduce temperatures by as much as 10C, as induction cookers only heat the food in the pans. They are more efficient, can reduce costs, are safer as they avoid the harmful pollutants emitted by gas cookers, and make it easier for air conditioning to work in crowded kitchen environments. But up to now many chefs have been reluctant to make the change.

A report from the Global Cooksafe Coalition found that restaurants could save thousands of pounds on their energy bills alone from making the switch. One gastropub was able to cut its energy use by almost two-thirds, saving £9,000 on bills. The cost of the retrofit would be repaid within three years, and the pub was likely to save £65,000 over 10 years, the report found.
Switching can also benefit the climate: the pub’s carbon emissions also fell by about two-thirds.
Lowering the temperature of the kitchen also means fridges have to work less hard, and there is less need for air conditioning and ventilation. Chet Sharma, chef-patron at London’s Bibi restaurant, said: “A hot kitchen doesn’t really exist with induction, since there is no heat loss. Induction is super-efficient. It keeps our bills down and keeps the staff happier, not sweating away at the stoves all day.””

The Guardian. Link in comments. 👇

28/08/2026

Proud to see our partner Nicholas Stewart featured in HR Leader, asking an important question: Are workplaces failing their LGBTQ+ employees?

For too many LGBTQ+ people, being able to bring their whole selves to work is still not something they can take for granted. Inclusion cannot simply be a policy on a website or a rainbow logo during Pride Month — it must be reflected in workplace culture, leadership and everyday behaviour.

Read Nicholas’ article and join the conversation about what genuine LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace should look like.

https://www.hrleader.com.au/wellbeing/28567-are-workplaces-failing-their-lgbtq-employees

28/08/2026

💜 Wear It Purple Day 💜

Today, we’re wearing purple to show LGBTQIA+ young people that they are seen, valued and supported.

Every young person deserves to grow up feeling safe to be themselves, without fear of bullying or discrimination.

At Dowson Turco Lawyers, we’re proud to stand alongside LGBTQ+ young people and continue working to create a more inclusive and accepting future for everyone. 🏳️‍🌈💜