Fiona Batten

Bar Roll: 2012 Admitted: 2006
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Fiona has a broad practice in public law, regulatory law, tort law, coronial inquests and public 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, immigration and citizenship, freedom of information and privacy. Fiona updates the privacy chapter in Nekvapil, Victorian Administrative Law loose-leaf service.

Fiona also appears in inquiries and coronial inquests. In 2019 and 2020, Fiona was one of the counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

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 has a Master of Law with first class honours from the University of Cambridge.

Fiona’s appearance and advice work has included:

Taylor v Minister for Education [2021] VSC 23
Davis v Suburban Rail Loop Authority [2021] VCAT 627
• Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (2019-2020) – Counsel Assisting (led by Her Honour Lisa Nichols KC, then his Honour Stephen O’Meara KC, with Georgina Coghlan KC)
Inquest into the death of Daren Brandon (November/December 2019)
Spataro v Secretary, Department of Employment [2018] AATA 2139
AB v CD and EF [2017] VSCA 338 (led by Peter Hanks KC with Emrys Nekvapil)
AB v CD and EF [2017] VSC 350 (led by Peter Hanks KC with Emrys Nekvapil) • Prior v Mole [2017] HCA 10; 343 ALR 1; (2017) 91 ALJR 441 (led by Brian Walters AM KC with Emrys Nekvapil)
ARG15 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCAFC 174; 250 FCR 109 (led by Georgina Costello KC)
Jurecek v Director, Transport Safety Victoria [2016] VSC 285 (led by Jason Pizer KC)

 

*Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation

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

Fiona Batten

Bar Roll: 2012 Admitted: 2006
print vcard

Profile

Fiona has a broad practice in public law, regulatory law, tort law, coronial inquests and public 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, immigration and citizenship, freedom of information and privacy. Fiona updates the privacy chapter in Nekvapil, Victorian Administrative Law loose-leaf service.

Fiona also appears in inquiries and coronial inquests. In 2019 and 2020, Fiona was one of the counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

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 has a Master of Law with first class honours from the University of Cambridge.

Fiona’s appearance and advice work has included:

Taylor v Minister for Education [2021] VSC 23
Davis v Suburban Rail Loop Authority [2021] VCAT 627
• Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System (2019-2020) – Counsel Assisting (led by Her Honour Lisa Nichols KC, then his Honour Stephen O’Meara KC, with Georgina Coghlan KC)
Inquest into the death of Daren Brandon (November/December 2019)
Spataro v Secretary, Department of Employment [2018] AATA 2139
AB v CD and EF [2017] VSCA 338 (led by Peter Hanks KC with Emrys Nekvapil)
AB v CD and EF [2017] VSC 350 (led by Peter Hanks KC with Emrys Nekvapil) • Prior v Mole [2017] HCA 10; 343 ALR 1; (2017) 91 ALJR 441 (led by Brian Walters AM KC with Emrys Nekvapil)
ARG15 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCAFC 174; 250 FCR 109 (led by Georgina Costello KC)
Jurecek v Director, Transport Safety Victoria [2016] VSC 285 (led by Jason Pizer KC)

 

*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

Publication

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

Qualifications & Memberships

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