Our Litigation & Appeals legal team is led by our Special Counsel, Dr Jason Donnelly Barrister who is one of Australia’s leading administrative law and migration law barristers. 

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We can assist your with the following Litigation & Appeals matters:

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• Citizenship, Immigration and Migration Law

• Supreme Court, Federal Court, High Court of Australia Appeals

• Visa Cancellation, Character Issues  and Deportation

• Contract Disputes, Employment Law and Equity 

• Criminal Litigation and Appeals

• Administrative Law and Public Law

• Civil & Commercial Litigation

• Commercial Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in Australia

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Dr Jason Donnelly barrister has both advised and appeared in many legal trials and appeals before Australian courts and tribunals and various important Commonwealth parliamentary inquiries. 

 

For example, as at 31 July 2023, Dr Donnelly has acted/appeared in 184 published judgments and decisions. This includes the following matters:

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• 89 strict legal appeals (largely before the Federal Court of Australia and the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia);

• 77 trials before various statutory Tribunals (largely the Administrative Appeals Tribunal);

• 14 appeals before the High Court of Australia (inclusive of 2 appeals from a grant of special leave, 3 appeals in the original jurisdiction and 9 special leave applications);

• 4 trials in the state jurisdiction of New South Wales. 

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Further, Dr Donnelly has advised/appeared before the:

• Commonwealth Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee;

• Commonwealth Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee;

• Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department, Administrative Review Form; 

• Commonwealth Joint Standing Committee on Migration;

• The Hon. I.D.F. Callinan AC KC Inquiry. 

 

He has appeared in many cases in the High Court of Australia, Federal Court of Australia and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

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​Dr Donnelly has represented a high-ranking colonel, homeless people, international entertainment stars (i.e. Skepta, Sticky Fingers), non-citizens, police officers, lawyers, politicians, and a wide range of other members of the Australian community.​

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Dr Donnelly previously worked as the Tipstaff to the Hon Justice Peter McClellan AM QC (Chief Judge at Common Law, Supreme Court of New South Wales) and as a Legal Researcher to the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG (former Justice of the High Court of Australia).

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Dr Donelly holds three university degrees (including a Ph.D. in law from a leading Australian university). He graduated with the prestigious university medal in law. He was appointed a university lecturer-in-law at the age of 23 and became a barrister at the age of 25.

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Dr Donnelly holds a senior university lecturer appointment in the School of Law at Western Sydney University, is the Course Convenor and Founding Author of the Graduate Diploma in Australian Migration Law, and is the Co-Author/Editor of publications with Federal Administrative Law (Thomson Reuters) and Douglas and Jones’s Administrative Law (Federation Press).