Nick Sinanis

My scholarly interests broadly lie in the Anglo-Australian private law of obligations, with a focus on remedies at common law and in equity. Trained as a legal historian, I have a particular interest in the histories of those doctrines used by modern courts to determine the nature and extent of the common law remedy of damages. Of these remedial doctrines, I am especially interested in those that more controversially result (or arguably result) in a private litigant's punishment, rather than the plaintiff's compensation.

Most recently, I have worked on the common law origins and development of the doctrines of exemplary (or punitive) damages and contemptuous damages. This work has been published in leading international journals such as the Cambridge Law Journal, Journal of Legal History, Journal of Tort Law and American Journal of Legal History.

I hold a PhD from University College London with a thesis entitled 'Exemplary Damages: A Critical History', which I undertook as a Peter Birks Scholar.

My thesis offered the first systematic historical account of the doctrine of exemplary damages, which continues to attract significant controversy, particularly among modern corrective justice theorists of private law. My doctoral supervisors were Professor Paul Mitchell and Associate Professor Ian Williams. My thesis was examined by Professor Michael Lobban and Professor Mark Lunney.

I also hold an LLM from the University of Melbourne. Supervised by Professor Katy Barnett, my minor research thesis theorised the doctrine of remoteness of damage in terms of distributive rather than corrective justice. I also hold an LLB (Hons) from the University of Adelaide, and a BA from the same university, where I majored in the study of classical civilization.

Before joining Monash, I taught Tort Law at University College London. I currently convene and teach Equity, both in the undergraduate (LLB) and juris doctor (JD) programs, as well as Property Law in the undergraduate program. I also convene the unit, Commercial Equity, in the JD/LLM programs.

Forthcoming publications:

Nicholas Sinanis et al, Contemporary Australian Tort Law: Cases and Materials, Cambrdge University Press (forthcoming 2025). 

LAW3111 Equity

LAW3402 Property B

LAW5008 Principles of Equity

LAW5445 Commercial Equity