Fiona Batten

Bar Roll: 2012 Admitted: 2006

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61 3 9225 6294 61 419 307 684

fiona.batten@vicbar.com.au Room 36:25 Ah Ket Chambers

Fiona has a broad practice in public law, regulatory law, tort law, inquests and inquiries. Fiona is regularly briefed to advise and appear for private and government clients in State and Commonwealth Courts and Tribunals.

Fiona has acted in a diverse range of public law matters, including judicial review, disability, discrimination, migration, freedom of information, privacy and inquests.

Fiona is recognised by Doyles Guide as Leading Administrative & Public Law Barrister.

Fiona’s appearance work has included:

Judicial review

• Huang v Frankston City Council [2024] VSCA 38

• Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance Incorporated v Minister for Energy and Resources [2023] VSC 774 (led by David Batt QC, with A Petridis and J Blaker)

• Trist v Glenelg Shire Council [2023] VSC 128

• Huang v Frankston City Counsel [2022] VSC 733

• AB v CD and EF [2017] VSCA 338 (led by Peter Hanks QC with Emrys Nekvapil)

Migration cases

• Acting unled in various migration cases in the Federal Court and Federal Circuit Court, for both applicants and the Minister.

Inquiries

• Yoorrook Justice Commission (2024) – State team (led by Georgina Coghlan KC, with Alice Warhdal)

• Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (2023-2024) – counsel assisting team (led by Erin Longbottom KC)

• Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (2019-2020) – counsel assisting team (led by Her Honour Lisa Nichols QC, then Stephen O’Meara QC, with Georgina Coghlan KC)

Fiona updates the privacy chapter in the Victorian Administrative Law loose-leaf service.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Fiona was a Senior Solicitor at VGSO in the litigation group and was Associate to the Hon Justice RRS Tracey AM RFD in the Federal Court of Australia. Fiona holds a Master of Law with first class honours from the University of Cambridge.

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

Areas of Practice

CommercialConfidential InformationConflict of LawsCorporate & CommercialDisabiltyDisciplinary ProceedingsDiscrimination/Equal OpportunityElectoral LawEnergy RegulationEnvironmentFOI/PrivacyHuman RightsInquestsJudicial ReviewMerits ReviewMigrationNative TitleProfessional NegligencePublic LawRegulatoryRoyal Commissions/Government Inquiries

Cases

Publications

Fiona Batten – currently contributes to the Information Privacy Act Chapter in Pizer’s Victorian Administrative Law looseleaf service.

QUALIFICATIONS

BA (Monash), LLB (Hons), LLM (Hons) (Cantab)

Fiona obtained a Masters of Law with first class honours from Cambridge, and was a Downing College Senior Seton Scholar. Fiona graduated from Monash University with first class honours and was awarded the Academic Prize for the best result in Corporations Law.

MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS

Victorian Bar Health and Wellbeing Committee