The Hon Steven David RARES

Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 2.2.2006
Location: Sydney

Other Commissions/Appointments:
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory – Additional Judge
Supreme Court of Norfolk Island - Judge

Steven Rares was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in 2006. He is also an additional judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and a judge of the Supreme Court of Norfolk Island.

He graduated in Arts and Law from the University of Sydney and, after two years working in a solicitors’ firm, he was called to the New South Wales Bar in 1980. He was appointed a Senior Counsel in 1993. In 2004 and 2005, he was a member of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales.

Justice Rares is currently a National co-convening judge and the New South Wales registry convening judge for the Admiralty and Maritime National Practice and for Defamation in the Other Federal Jurisdiction Areas; and a member of the Comité Maritime International’s International Working Group on Offshore Activities. Between October 2014 and October 2016, he was President of the Judicial Conference of Australia and between October 2019 and 2021 he was President of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. He was also the Chairman of the Consultative Council of Australian Law Reporting from 2012 to 2019.

Associateship applications

Justice Rares’ chambers have filled their associateships until his retirement in 2023 and therefore will not be accepting any associateship applications.

Updated October 2021