Shawn Rajanayagam

Bar Roll: 2021 Admitted: 2015
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Shawn practises in publicĀ and commercial law.

Before coming to the Bar, Shawn was the Counsel Assisting the Solicitor-General for Victoria. He has also worked as Associate to the Hon Justice Keane AC of the High Court of Australia and to the Hon Justice McLeish of the Victorian Court of Appeal. He commenced his careerĀ in the commercial litigation team at MinterEllison.

Shawn holds a Juris Doctor from Melbourne Law School, where he received several awards and prizes and was an editor of theĀ Melbourne University Law Review,Ā and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.

Shawn readĀ with Frances Gordon KC.Ā His senior mentor is Alistair Pound SC.

Some recent cases in which he has appeared are listed below. A fullĀ list can be foundĀ here.

Public law

Unions NSW v New South WalesĀ [2023] HCA 4:Ā Constitutional law ā€” Implied freedom of political communication ā€” “Matter” and standing ā€” led by Stephen Donaghue KC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth, and Sarah Zeleznikow, for the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth

SDCV v Director-General of SecurityĀ [2022] HCA 32: Constitutional law ā€” Ch III ā€” Procedural fairness ā€”Ā led by Craig Lenehan SC and Tom Wood, for the appellant

North East Forest Alliance Inc v CommonwealthĀ [2024] FCA 5: Environmental law ā€” Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002 (Cth) ā€” led by Anna Mitchelmore SC, then Richard Lancaster SC, and Frances Gordon, for the Commonwealth

Abramov v Minister for Foreign Affairs (No 2)Ā [2023] FCA 1199:Ā Judicial review ā€” Sanctions ā€” War in Ukraine ā€” led by Ron Merkel KC, with Jack Maxwell, for the applicant

Benbrika v Attorney-General (Cth)Ā (Supreme Court of Victoria, 2023):Ā Application for extended supervision order ā€” led by Peter Hanks KC and Sarah Zeleznikow, with Melinda Jackson, for the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth

Commercial and regulatory law

Karpik v Carnival plcĀ [2023] HCA 39: Competition and consumer law ā€” Extraterritorial application of s 23 of theĀ Australian Consumer LawĀ (Cth) ā€” Class actions ā€” Validity of class action waiver clausesĀ ā€” led by Stephen Donaghue KC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth, Ruth Higgins SC and Sarah Zeleznikow, for the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth and the ACCC

El Zain v Vitrafy Life Sciences LtdĀ [2023] HCASL 7:Ā Contract law ā€” Interpretation of extension clause ā€” led by Allan Myers AC KC, for the applicant for special leave to appeal

Thomas v The a2 Milk Company Ltd [No 2]Ā (2022) 68 VR 283:Ā Class actions ā€” Conflict of laws ā€” Jurisdiction and power of the Supreme Court ā€” led by Alistair Pound SC, as the Contradictor

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

CommercialCompetitionConstitutional LawCorporate & CommercialDiscrimination/Equal OpportunityElectoral LawEmployment and Industrial RelationsEnvironmentHuman RightsInquestsJudicial ReviewMerits ReviewMigrationNative TitlePlanningProperty, Planning, Environment & ResourcesPublic International LawPublic LawPublic LawRegulatoryRoyal Commissions/Government InquiriesTaxation & SuperannuationTaxes ā€“ FederalTaxes ā€“ StateTrade Practices/Consumer Protection

QUALIFICATIONS

BIGS Sydney University
JD Melbourne University
LLM Harvard University

Shawn Rajanayagam

Bar Roll: 2021 Admitted: 2015
print vcard

Profile

Shawn practises in publicĀ and commercial law.

Before coming to the Bar, Shawn was the Counsel Assisting the Solicitor-General for Victoria. He has also worked as Associate to the Hon Justice Keane AC of the High Court of Australia and to the Hon Justice McLeish of the Victorian Court of Appeal. He commenced his careerĀ in the commercial litigation team at MinterEllison.

Shawn holds a Juris Doctor from Melbourne Law School, where he received several awards and prizes and was an editor of theĀ Melbourne University Law Review,Ā and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.

Shawn readĀ with Frances Gordon KC.Ā His senior mentor is Alistair Pound SC.

Some recent cases in which he has appeared are listed below. A fullĀ list can be foundĀ here.

Public law

Unions NSW v New South WalesĀ [2023] HCA 4:Ā Constitutional law ā€” Implied freedom of political communication ā€” “Matter” and standing ā€” led by Stephen Donaghue KC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth, and Sarah Zeleznikow, for the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth

SDCV v Director-General of SecurityĀ [2022] HCA 32: Constitutional law ā€” Ch III ā€” Procedural fairness ā€”Ā led by Craig Lenehan SC and Tom Wood, for the appellant

North East Forest Alliance Inc v CommonwealthĀ [2024] FCA 5: Environmental law ā€” Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002 (Cth) ā€” led by Anna Mitchelmore SC, then Richard Lancaster SC, and Frances Gordon, for the Commonwealth

Abramov v Minister for Foreign Affairs (No 2)Ā [2023] FCA 1199:Ā Judicial review ā€” Sanctions ā€” War in Ukraine ā€” led by Ron Merkel KC, with Jack Maxwell, for the applicant

Benbrika v Attorney-General (Cth)Ā (Supreme Court of Victoria, 2023):Ā Application for extended supervision order ā€” led by Peter Hanks KC and Sarah Zeleznikow, with Melinda Jackson, for the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth

Commercial and regulatory law

Karpik v Carnival plcĀ [2023] HCA 39: Competition and consumer law ā€” Extraterritorial application of s 23 of theĀ Australian Consumer LawĀ (Cth) ā€” Class actions ā€” Validity of class action waiver clausesĀ ā€” led by Stephen Donaghue KC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth, Ruth Higgins SC and Sarah Zeleznikow, for the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth and the ACCC

El Zain v Vitrafy Life Sciences LtdĀ [2023] HCASL 7:Ā Contract law ā€” Interpretation of extension clause ā€” led by Allan Myers AC KC, for the applicant for special leave to appeal

Thomas v The a2 Milk Company Ltd [No 2]Ā (2022) 68 VR 283:Ā Class actions ā€” Conflict of laws ā€” Jurisdiction and power of the Supreme Court ā€” led by Alistair Pound SC, as the Contradictor

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

Areas of Practice

CommercialCompetitionConstitutional LawCorporate & CommercialDiscrimination/Equal OpportunityElectoral LawEmployment and Industrial RelationsEnvironmentHuman RightsInquestsJudicial ReviewMerits ReviewMigrationNative TitlePlanningProperty, Planning, Environment & ResourcesPublic International LawPublic LawPublic LawRegulatoryRoyal Commissions/Government InquiriesTaxation & SuperannuationTaxes ā€“ FederalTaxes ā€“ StateTrade Practices/Consumer Protection

Cases

Publication

Qualifications & Memberships

QUALIFICATIONS

BIGS Sydney University
JD Melbourne University
LLM Harvard University