Since signing the Bar Roll, Rolf Sorensen’s practice has focused particularly on immigration, discrimination and equal opportunity, professional disciplinary hearings and occupational licensing and regulatory offences. He also practices in industrial law and administrative law more generally as well as appearing in a range of commercial and criminal matters
Examples of cases in which Rolf has appeared are:
- Trustee For Estate Of Late Darryl Anderson v Rose City Kitchens [2018] VCAT 338 ( Executor’s standing to commence action for breach of Victorian Equal Opportunity Act regarding alleged discrmination against Deceased )
- Butterworth v Independence Australia Services [2015] VCAT 2056 ( “Reasonable Adjustments” for Employee with Disability )
- Kulta Group v Melbourne CC [2015] VCAT 18 ( For intervenor in support of Planning Permit Refusal regarding site subject to Heritage Overlay )
- MZYPZ v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2012] FCA 478 ( Judicial Review of Migration Review Tribunal’s refusal in application for Spousal Visa to review previous findings of Refugee Review Tribunal in application for Protection Visa )
- Hyatt v Covalea [2011] VSC 334 ( Application for provision under will pursuant to Part IV of Probate and Administration Act )
- Stevenson v Murdoch Community Services Inc (2010) 202 IR 266, [2010] FCA 648 ( Unlawful Termination of employment because of temporary absence from work whilst ill )
- MZXTU v Minister for Immigration [2009] FMCA 66 ( Judicial Review of refusal of Protection Visa sought for persecution on basis of membership of particular social group )
- TSB v Secretary to the Department of Justice [2008] VCAT 1785 ( Grant of Working With Children Act Assessment Notice )
Rolf is a reporter for the Victorian Reports and has written Head-Notes for cases involving wide-ranging areas of law, including Statutory Interpretation, Human Rights, Contractual Interpretation, Estoppel, Rescission, Restitution, Trade Practices, Personal Injury, Occupational Health&Safety, Professional Negligence, Evidence, Settlement Agreements, Civil Procedure, Trusts, Corporations and Associations and Criminal Law and Procedure. See for example the Head-Notes to Fenelon v Dove (2010) 28 VR 619; Farnell v Penhalluriack (2010) 29 VR 727; Antunovic v Dawson (2010) 30 VR 355; Ballard v Attorney-General (2010) 30 VR 413; McWhinney v Melbourne Health (2011) 31 VR 285; Talacko v Talacko (2011) 31 VR 340; Peet Limited v Richmond (2011) 33 VR 465; Body Bronze International v Fehcorp (2011) 34 VR 536; Ottedin Investments v Portbury Developments (2011) 35 VR 1, Retirement Services Australia v 3143 Victoria Street Doncaster (2012) 37 VR 486, Hudspeth v Scholastic Cleaning & Consultancy Services (2014) 42 VR 236, Rosa v Galbally&O’Bryan (2013) 42 VR 382, Willett v Victoria (2013) 42 VR 571, Brown v Maurice Blackburn Cashman (2013) 45 VR 22, A Woodley Osteopathic Services v Transport Accident Commission (2013) 46 VR 28, Marriner v Australian Super Developments (2012) 46 VR 213, Victoria Police Toll Enforcement v Taha, Victoria v Brookes (2013) 49 VR 1, Director Of Public Prosecutions v Vibro -Pile and Frankipile (2016) 49 VR 676, Reardon v Hall&Wilcox (2016) 50 VR 117, Lei v Lei (2016) 50 VR 409, Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Ying (2016) 51 VR 80, Racing Victoria Ltd v Riley (2016) 51 VR 261, Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd v Queen (2017) 53 VR 1, Brazel v Magistrates’ Court of Victoria (2018) 53 VR 440, Goodenough v Victoria (2017) 53 VR 670, Yates v Queen (2017) 54 VR 374, DPP v Tupper (2018) 55 VR 720 and Re: Matemberere (2018) 57 VR 647
Rolf has delivered presentations to solicitors on Employment Law, Freedom of Information, the Victorian Charter of Rights and Statutory Interpretation. He has also had considerable experience as a teacher and researcher in law at various tertiary educational institutions in Melbourne and regional Victoria, in subjects including Employment and Industrial Law and Commercial Law. He has published on Labour Law and Freedom of Information in Australia, South Africa and Kenya
Rolf was previously a solicitor in general private practice and Community Legal Centres in Melbourne and Geelong and an Associate to a County Court Judge, including a period spent at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He also worked on Freedom of Information for a non-governmental organisation in Johannesburg and was Education Officer at the University of Melbourne Post-Graduate Association
Rolf’s experience with non-governmental organisations has included design and implementation of processes of: due diligence with respect to publishing and marketing by cultural organizations and compliance with legal obligations regarding privacy, copyright, defamation, Etc. He has also assumed responsibility for other issues regarding organizational governance, including contracts, property, labour law, occupational health and safety, access for people with disabilities and heritage laws
