Dr Christopher Ward SC
Level 6
169 Phillip Street
Sydney NSW 2000
PRACTICE AREAS
Class Actions
Commercial & Contracts
Corporations
Maritime Law
Employment Law
Appellate
Aviation Law
Arbitration
Child Abduction
Conflict of Laws
Discrimination Law
Extradition
Human Rights Law
Public International Law
Private International Law
War Crimes and Military Law
Climate Change
Administrative Law
Constitutional Law
Environmental Law
Government Law
National Security
Public Law
Royal Commissions
QUALIFICATIONS
PhD, Australian National University, “The Influence of international jurisprudence on domestic law”, 2002
LLM (Class I) and Clive Parry Prize for International Law (Cambridge University), 1995
LLB (Hons I) (University of Sydney) and Pitt Cobbett Prize for International Law, 1992
BSc (Genetics & Biochemistry) (University of Sydney), 1990
Appointed Senior Counsel: 2015
Called to the Bar: 1998
Admitted to Practice: 1993
Appointed Senior Counsel: 2015
Called to the Bar: 1998
Admitted to Practice: 1993
Level 6
169 Phillip Street
Sydney NSW 2000
PRACTICE AREAS
Class Actions
Commercial & Contracts
Corporations
Maritime Law
Employment Law
Appellate
Aviation Law
Arbitration
Child Abduction
Conflict of Laws
Discrimination Law
Extradition
Human Rights Law
Public International Law
Private International Law
War Crimes and Military Law
Climate Change
Administrative Law
Constitutional Law
Environmental Law
Government Law
National Security
Public Law
Royal Commissions
QUALIFICATIONS
PhD, Australian National University, “The Influence of international jurisprudence on domestic law”, 2002
LLM (Class I) and Clive Parry Prize for International Law (Cambridge University), 1995
LLB (Hons I) (University of Sydney) and Pitt Cobbett Prize for International Law, 1992
BSc (Genetics & Biochemistry) (University of Sydney), 1990
ABOUT
Dr Christopher Ward SC is a highly experienced and successful advocate specialising in public international law before international courts and tribunals, appellate courts and trial courts.
He has a multidisciplinary international practice as Senior Counsel and works in all aspects of public and private international law, investor-State disputes, administrative law and governmental disputes. He is the elected Vice-Chair of the International Law Association (seated in the United Kingdom) and is an Associate Member of 3 Verulam Buildings Barristers in Gray’s Inn, London.
He has appeared in all major Australian jurisdictions, the International Court of Justice and before arbitration tribunals.
Recent cases include acting for the Republic of Bolivia before the International Court of Justice, the Kingdom of Spain in High Court proceedings relating to international investor-state arbitration; multiple proceedings involving United Nations and autonomous sanctions against Russia, significant international aviation proceedings involving Qatar, refugee and immigration proceedings involving war crimes and constitutional issues and consistent advice and representation to Oxfam (Great Britain) on questions involving Gaza.
He is an internationally recognised expert in the fields of public and private international law where he has particular expertise in boundary disputes, foreign judgments, the law of the sea, aviation, resources and investor-state arbitral disputes.
He appears regularly in Australia and elsewhere as an advocate in cases which involve international law and accepts instructions in areas as diverse as human rights, maritime boundaries, investor-state arbitration and diplomatic immunity. He is known globally for his extensive pro bono work in human rights and capital punishment cases.
Dr Ward has been recognised in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Legal500 rankings. He was described as “a superb advocate, always attuned to what the bench is thinking. Eloquent and agile. That is the same at first instance, on appeal, or before a bench of seven judges in the High Court of Australia.” He is also ranked by Doyle’s Guide as a leading senior counsel in Arbitration.
APPOINTMENTS
Global Vice-Chair, International Law Association (UK)
Adjunct Professor of International Law, Australian National University
Associate Member, 3 Verulam Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London
Past President, International Law Association (UK)
Past President, International Law Association (Australian Branch)
RECOGNITIONS
Doyles Guide: 2023 to 2025
Leading Arbitration Barristers, Australia
Legal500: 2024 to 2026
Commercial Disputes – Asia Pacific
PUBLICATIONS
National and International Litigation: Partners or Competitors (contributed chapter in Litigating International Law Disputes: Klein, N Ed, 2013)
The Domestic Relevance of International Tribunal Decisions (Doctoral Thesis)
International Law Association Reports (Ed) (2000 – 2012)
The Margin of Appreciation in Australian Law (2003) Aust Bar Review
Principles of Interpretation Applicable to Legislation Adopting Treaties (1998) 26 Fed.LR 207.
Agency & Distribution Law (in International Encyclopedia of Agency & Distribution Agreements) 1996, 1998 & 2000 (International Bar Association).
Drawing a Line in the Sand: Legal Issues Raised by the United Nations Security Council (1998) Aust.Int.L.J. 82.
Disputes Involving Trusts in Australia (in Nedim Vogt (ed)) 1999 Helbing & Lichtenhahn.
Voices in the Pacific: A Survey of Local and Regional Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (1998) Asia-Pacific Journal of Environmental Law 78.
SELECT CASES
Kingdom of Spain v Infrastructure Services Luxembourg [2023] HCA 11 (High Court of Australia) (The transcript can be viewed here).
Parbery & Ors v QNI Metals Pty Ltd & Ors [2020] QSC 143 (Successfully representing the Palmer corporations in the Queensland Nickel liquidation proceedings)
Berry v CCL Secure Pty Ltd (formerly known as Securency) ($64.8 million verdict in a commercial fraud dispute)
Wells Fargo Trust Company, National Association (trustee) v VB Leaseco Pty Ltd (administrators appointed) [2020] FCA 1269 (Litigation on behalf of the owners of Boeing 737 engines operated by Virgin Airlines)
Kirk Group Holdings Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of NSW (for Kirk) (High Court of Australia) [2010] HCA 1 (Successfully appearing for Mr Kirk in a landmark constitutional argument on jurisdictional error)
Old UGC Inc v McRann (for Old UGC Inc) (High Court of Australia) [2006] HCA 24 (Successfully appearing for Mr McRann in a conflict of laws dispute)
Fair Work Ombudsman v Valuair Limited (No 2) [2014] FCA 759 (Successfully acting for the Jetstar group in a case involving the assertion of extraterritorial workplace jurisdiction in aviation)
Saab Aircraft Leasing Inc & Lambert Leasing Inc v v QBE Insurance Ltd [2015] NSWSC 750 (Acting for Saab Aircraft in commercial insurance proceedings related to the Lockhart River crash)
LFDB v SM [2017] FCAFC 178 (Successfully appearing for “SM” in a substantial dispute involving private international law and the public policy exception to recognition of foreign judgments)
In the matter of Al Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste (2014-2015) (Acting for Mr Peter Greste in relation to his imprisonment in Egypt)
Petrotimor v Commonwealth (Full Federal Court of Australia) [2003] FCAFC 3 (Acting for Petrotimor in oil & gas and constitutional litigation arising under the Timor Gap Treaty)
Re Maritime Union of Australia; ex parte CSL Pacific Shipping Inc (for CSL Shipping) (High Court of Australia) [2003] HCA 43 (Acting for CSL Shipping in a case involving extraterritorial jurisdiction; maritime law)
Fair Work Ombudsman v Pocomwell Limited (No 2) [2013] FCA 1339 (Acting for the Commonwealth in a case involving employment, industrial, offshore oil rigs)
QZ v Department of Forensic Medicine (NSW) [2011] NSWCA 412 & [2012] HCA Trans 164 (Acting for Mr “QZ” in a case involving human rights and discrimination)
In the matter of Yoshe Taylor (Successfully advising and appearing for Queensland resident Yoshe Taylor in proceedings which resulted in her conviction and 23 year sentence in Cambodia being quashed)
AWB Oil for Food Inquiry (advice to Commissioner the Hon TRH Cole QC)
In the matter of the Status of Norfolk island as a Non-Self-Governing Territory (2016)
In the Matter of East Timor’s Maritime Boundaries (Landmark opinion with Professor Vaughan Lowe, for Petrotimor/Republic of East Timor )
In the matter of “Z Co” (Advice on war crimes and sanctions issues arising from commercial activities in the Middle East)
In the matter of “Y Co” (Confidential advice on downstream gas supply contracts and related arbitration remedies)
In the matter of Chan and Sukumaran (2014-2015) (Advice on Death Penalty, Indonesia)
X Co v Papua New Guinea (Investor-State arbitration, settled)
International Organisation for Migration (middle eastern arbitration proceedings, settled)
Cortes v Republic of Venezuela (Advice and representation for the State of Venezuela on diplomatic immunity)
In the Matter of Japanese Whaling in the Pacific (for International Fund for Animal Welfare)
In the matter of the delimitation of certain Indonesian islands (advice to NGO)
In the matter of “X Co” (UN sanctions and exportation of certain restricted materials; advice to Gadens)
In the matter of the Catholic Church and the Alien Tort Statute (for the Catholic Church)
In the matter of the threatened application of the death penalty by Indonesia (the Bali Nine)
In the matter of the extraterritorial application of industrial legislation to New Zealand (for Qantas)
In the Matter of the Mandatory Application of the Death Penalty by Singapore against an Australian Citizen
Zorba v Turkey (for Zorba) (European Court of Human Rights)