The Hon Steven Rares KC > Newmans Row > London, England > Barrister Profile

The Hon Steven Rares KC

Work Department

Full Time Arbitrator

Position

International Arbitrator and Mediator

Career

Steven is a full time 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) and was made a titularly member of the Comité 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 Norfolk 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 many years.  He was also a director of an ovarian cancer research charity until 2005.

Languages

English

Memberships

Supporting member of the London 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)

Education

BA (1975), LLB (1978) (University of Sydney)

Mediator, Harvard Law School (2022)

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

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

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