International law practice group of 6 st james hall chambers

The International Law practice group of 6 St James Hall Chambers is the Southern Hemisphere's pre-eminent international law practice with a global reach that transcends all national boundaries. Led by prominent Senior Counsel and immediate past President of the International Law Association, Dr Christopher Ward SC, the group consists of leading independent practitioners of international law including Senior Counsel (formerly known as ‘QCs’), experienced junior counsel and senior academics. Our counsel have unrivalled reputations for the provision of exceptional service at the highest levels. They are reputable, ethical, experienced and cost effective. They provide intelligent, focused and responsive advice and representation to Governments, major listed corporations, international and domestic non-governmental organisations, diplomats and individuals throughout the world. They have experience in litigation in all international tribunals including United Nations tribunals and treaty bodies, the European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights, regional tribunals and superior domestic courts.

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Specialising in both public and private international law, our counsel provide timely advice and robust advocacy in all areas of international law. Our barristers have extensive experience in:

Maritime and land boundary disputes

International environmental law and climate change litigation

Human rights and personal freedoms

Resources and energy including green energy

Diplomatic privileges and immunities

War crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity and associated compliance issues

Extradition disputes

Death penalty litigation

Relief and representation for prisoners abroad

Aviation including Chicago Convention and ICAO

Maritime, admiralty and transportation law

United Nations Sanctions and compliance

National security, terrorism and espionage issues

Hague Convention disputes including international child abduction and cross-border enforcement;

International commercial arbitration

International commercial disputes including insolvency, trade and investment

Private international law and conflict of laws disputes

NOTABLE CASES

DHI22 v Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C(No 3) [2024] FCA 351 (Dr Christopher Ward SC and Richard Reynolds appearing in the Federal Court of Australia proceedings against Qatar Airways Group and Qatar Airways Corporation in relation to events occurring in Doha in 2020; Montreal Convention; State immunity; conflicts of law) 

DHI22 v Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C (No 2) [2024] FCA 348 (Dr Christopher Ward SC and Richard Reynolds appearing in the Federal Court of Australia proceedings against Qatar Airways Group and Qatar Airways Corporation regarding the events in Doha in 2020; Montreal Convention; State immunity; conflict of law; negligence)

Advice on war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide to leading NGO in the United Kingdom regarding the Israel-Hamas war (Dr Christopher Ward SC and Madeleine Bridgett, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, Rome Statute, UN Resolutions)

Tigers Realm Coal Limited v Commonwealth of Australia [2024] FCA 340 (Dr Christopher Ward SC and Richard Reynolds representing the Applicant, an Australian listed company in relation to shares in three companies incorporated in Russia, statutory interpretation of the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011, administrative law and whether dispute is a ‘matter’ within the meaning of Ch III of the Australian Constitution)

Duarte Agostinho and others v Portugal and 32 Other States, no. 39371/20 (Richard Reynolds, representing the Applicants, alleged breach of Articles 2, 3, 8 and 14 of the Convention owing to the existing, and serious future, impacts of climate change imputable to the respondent States, and specifically those in relation to heatwaves, wildfires and smoke from wildfires, which affected their lives, well-being, mental health and the amenities of their homes)

Kingdom of Spain v. Infrastructure Services Luxembourg S.à.r.l. & Anor [2023] HCA 11 (Dr Christopher Ward SC, State immunity, ICSID arbitration)

Nyunt v First Property Holdings Pte [2022] NSWCA 249 (Dr Christopher Ward SC, appearing in the Supreme Court of Australia, in regards to conflicting laws between Australia and Singapore) 

Ganakis & Ganakis [2022] FedCFamC1F 262 (Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, led by Nicholas Beaumont SC) Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia – Conflict of laws – Estoppel - Property & Parenting - Successful stay application (property) – Final property orders already made in a foreign jurisdiction)

Janssen & Dupont [2021] FamCA 268 (Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, Family Court of Australia - Conflict of laws – Jurisdiction - Clearly inappropriate forum - Property – Successfully opposed the Husband’s stay application)

Wells Fargo Trust Company, National Association (trustee) v VB Leaseco Pty Ltd (administrators appointed) [2020] FCA 1269 (Dr Christopher Ward SC, litigation on behalf of the owners of Boeing 737 engines operated by Virgin Airlines)

R v Collaery (No 9) [2020] ACTSC 291 (Dr Christopher Ward SC with Bret Walker SC, National security and freedom of speech)

Monette & Monette [2019] FamCA 513 (Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes appearing in the Family Court of Australia for the applicant husband in a stay application, forum non conveniens dispute)

Rojas v United States of America [2019] FCA 22 (Madeleine Bridgett led by Dr Christopher Ward SC in extradition litigation)

Representation of Ms Yoshe Taylor before the Cambodian Supreme Court leading to her successful release from prison in Cambodia, 2019 (Dr Christopher Ward SC)

United Nations Sanctions in relation to Iraq (client confidential, Dr Christopher Ward SC)

GZCK and Minister for Home Affairs (Migration) [2019] AATA 656 (Madeleine Bridgett appearing for the applicant in relation to war crimes and crimes against humanity issues)

Japanese Whaling in the Pacific (Dr Christopher Ward SC with Professor Donald Rothwell)

LFDB v SM [2017] FCAFC 178 (Dr Christopher Ward SC successfully appearing for "SM" in a substantial dispute involving private international law and the public policy exception to recognition of foreign judgments)

War Crimes investigation (Dr Christopher Ward SC, client confidential)

Arthur & Secretary, Department of Family & Community Services And Anor [2017] FamCAFC 111 (Madeleine Bridgett led by Dr Christopher Ward SC appearing for the applicant in Hague Convention International Child Abduction proceedings)

In the matter of the Status of Norfolk Island, 2016 (Dr Christopher Ward SC, sovereignty)

In the matter of Clayton & Bant (Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes advised on res judicata/stay application matters, high net worth international divorce, in the Family Court of Australia, client represented at hearing by Bret Walker SC) (2015).

Balaj and others v The United Nations Mission in Kosovo, HRAP/04/07, Opinion of 27 February 2015 (Richard Reynolds with Paul Troop) (Human Rights Advisory Panel for Kosovo- police use of force)

United States Air Cargo Anti-Trust Litigation (Dr Christopher Ward SC for a major airline in defence of class action)

In the matter of Al Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste (2014-2015) (Dr Christopher Ward SC acting for Mr Peter Greste in relation to his imprisonment in Egypt) 

In the matter of Rivas (Dr Christopher Ward SC; advice and representation to South American governments in relation to extradition issues involving historical war crimes and crimes against humanity)

Advice and representation in numerous capital punishment cases in Singapore and South East Asia (Dr Christopher Ward SC)

Old UGC Inc v McRann (For old UGC Inc) (High Court of Australia) [2006] HCA 24 (Dr Christopher Ward SC successfully appearing for Mr McRann in a conflict of laws dispute)

Re Maritime Union of Australia; ex parte CSL Pacific Shipping Inc [2003] HCA 43 (Dr Christopher Ward SC acting for CSL Shipping in a case involving extraterritorial jurisdiction; maritime law)

In the matter of the maritime boundaries of Timor Leste (Dr Christopher Ward SC with Professor Vaughan Lowe QC)

NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS

James Stellios, Constitutional Characterisation: Embedding Value Judgements about the Relationship between the Legislature and the Judiciary. 2021, 45(1) Melbourne University Law Review 277.

Christopher Ward and Philip Santucci, 'Has the very Unruly Horse Bolted? The Increasing Use of Mandatory Provisions and Ordre Public and its Effect on the Work of the HCCH' in J Thomas (Ed), The Elgar Companion on the HCCH. 2021.

James Stellios et al. Judicial Federalism in Australia: History, Theory, Doctrine and Practice. The Federation Press. 2021.

James Stellios et al. Hanks Australian Constitutional Law: Materials and Commentary, LexisNexis, 11th ed. 2021.

Christopher Ward, Cruise Ships and the Coronavirus. May 2020, NSW Law Society Journal.

James Stellios and Justice John Griffiths eds, Current Issues in Australian Constitutional Law: Tributes to Professor Leslie Zines, The Federation Press. 2020.

James Stellios, The Federal Judicature: Chapter III of the Constitution, LexisNexis, 2nd ed. 2020.

Stephen Tully, Law Brief: International Law. 2019. Thomson Reuters, 1st Edition. 2019.

Stephen Tully, Challenging awards before national courts for a denial of natural justice: lessons from Australia. 2016. Arbitration International, 0, 1-22.

James Stellios, Australian Constitutionalism and the UK-Style Dialogue Model of Human Rights Protection, in J Bell and M L Paris (ed), Rights-Based Constitutional Review: Constitutional Courts in a Changing Landscape. 2016. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Christopher Ward, The South China Sea Arbitration Award. 2016 Australian Journal of International Law.

Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, Chapter on International Family Law, in The Practitioner’s Guide to International Law, the Law Society of New South Wales Young Lawyers. 2014. 2nd Edition, LexisNexis Butterworth.  

Christopher Ward, National and International Litigation: Partners or Competitors Klein N (Ed) in Litigating International Law Disputes: Weighing the Options, Cambridge University Press.

Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, International parenting and child protection matters beyond the specific issue of parental child abduction: The 1996 Hague Convention on the International Protection of Children, Children Australia, Special Issue 2013, Cambridge University Press.

James Stellios, Reconceiving the Separation of Judicial Power. 2011. 22 Public Law Review 113.

Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, Next Steps Regarding the New Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance: Introduction to the Future Implementation Guide and Implementation Issues, The Judges, Newsletter on International Child Protection, HCCH & Lexis Nexis Butterworths, Vol. 14, Winter 2008-09.

Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, La médiation familiale internationale dans le contexte des Conventions de La Haye, des perspectives de nouveaux développements, drawn up on behalf of the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference of Private International Law, co-authored with Juliane Hirsch, in La Revue Scientifique de l'AIFI, Editions Y. Blais, Vol. 1 No 2, Autumn 2007.

Christopher Ward, The Margin of Appreciation in Australian Law, 2003, 23 Aust Bar Review 189.

Christopher Ward, Principles of Interpretation Applicable to Legislation Adopting Treaties, 1998, 26 Fed.LR 207.

Christopher Ward “Drawing a Line in the Sand: Legal Issues Raised by the United Nations Security Council” (1998) Aust.Int.L.J. 82.

Publications