Steven David Rares
CV
Judge, Barrister

Steven is a mediator, arbitrator and adjunct professor of law at the University of New South Wales. He has extensive experience in commercial, maritime, private and public international law issues.

In 2022, Steven qualified as a mediator at Harvard Law School. In 2023 he became a professional member of the Resolution Institute as well as a supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA), a member of the London Court of International Arbitration Asia Pacific Users' Council (LCIA) and was made a titularly member of the Comit6 Maritime International.

He was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in February 2006 and served until November 2023. He was also a judge of the Supreme Courts of the Australian Capital Territory (from 2007) and Nor folk Island (from 2018). He heard numerous cases in all areas of those Courts' civil and criminal jurisdictions and delivered over 1,200 judgments at first instance and on appeal.

Prior to his appointment as a judge, Steven practised at the bar for 25 years, taking silk in 1993. His areas of practice at the bar included maritime, aviation, defamation, media, contempt, administrative, constitutional, trade practises, competition, consumer, planning professional negligence, employment and criminal law as well as appellate.

Steven was also a board member and later chair of Counsels Chambers Ltd (1996-2005) which provided accommodation, internet and other services to over 500 barristers. He was a member of the Council of the Bar Association of New South Wales for two years and a member of one of its professional conduct committees for manyyears. He was also a director of an ovarian cancer research charity until 2005.

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CONTACT

Phone: +61408206605 (mobile), +61292324016 (Clerk)

Email: steven.rares@12thfloor.com.au

Place of Residence: Australia

Nationality(ies): Australian, British

Language(s): English, French

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    Judge of the Federal Court of Australia (2006-2023)

    Additional judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory (2007-2023) 

    Judge of the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island (2018-2023) 

    Senior Counsel -New South Wales (1993) 

    King's Counsel -Western Australia (1994) 

    Certificate in mediating disputes from Harvard Law School (2022). 

    Adjunct Professor, School of Law, Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales (2024) 

    Supporting member of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). 

    Member of the London Court of International Arbitration Asia Pacific Users' Council. 

    Titulary member of the Comité Maritime International (CMI)

    Member, International Working Group on Offshore Activities of CMI. 

    Member of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand. 

    Presiding member, Admiralty Rules Committee under the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth) since 2011. 

    Member and former president (2019-2021) of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. 

    Member and former president (2014-2016) of the Judicial Conference of Australia. 

    Professional member, Resolution Institute, Non-practising member, New South Wales Bar Association. 

    Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. 

    Member of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand. 

    Appointed member of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales (2004-2005) under the Judicial Officers Act 1986 NSW). 

    Board member and later chair of Counsels Chambers Ltd (1996-2005) which provided accommodation, internet and other services to over 500 barristers.

    Member of the Council of the Bar Association of New South Wales for two years and a member of one of its professional conduct committees for many years

    Director of an ovarian cancer research charity until 2005.

    ADMISSIONS
    EDUCATION
    BA and LLB, University of Sydney
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