Background
Gageler was born and raised in Sandy Hollow, New South Wales, where his father, John, and grandfather, Clive, were sawmillers operating his grandfather"s company.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Stephen Gageler
Edit ProfileEducation
He graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Economics in 1980 and a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours in 1982. He then studied at Harvard Law School, graduating with a Master of Laws in 1987.
Career
He was previously a barrister based in Sydney, New South Wales and the Solicitor-General of Australia, the Commonwealth"s second-ranking law officer Gageler was influenced to become a lawyer by meeting Bryan Beaumont, at the time the owner of a property near Gageler"s boyhood home, who later became a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. His secondary education was at Muswellbrook High School.
He resided at Bruce Hall, the university"s oldest residential college.
Upon return from Harvard Law School, Gageler was called to the bar in Sydney where, for 20 years, he worked as a barrister specialising in constitutional, administrative, revenue and commercial law. He was made a Senior Counsel in 2000.
Gageler represented, among others, Betfair, the Humane Society, the ACT Government, and John Howard (the Prime Minister of Australia). Gageler was assistant counsel for the Commercial Radio Enquiry in 1999.
Solicitor-General Gageler was appointed as the Solicitor-General of Australia in 2008, based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
This position is the second law officer of the Commonwealth, advising the Government and appearing as counsel in significant cases. Gageler"s appointment as a Justice of the was announced on 21 August 2012 by the Attorney-General of Australia, Nicola Roxon, for whom Gageler had worked as Solicitor-General of Australia since 2008. Roxon announced that Gageler would replace Justice William Gummow on his retirement in October 2012.
Appointment to the High Court is made by the Governor-General of Australia, acting upon the advice of the Prime Minister, who will have been advised by the Attorney-General.
In the history of the High Court Gageler was already part of the history of the High Court. His likeness appears in a painting from 2003 that was commissioned to mark the Court"s centenary.
The painting depicts the High Court sitting on Tuesday 29 April 2003 to hear the case Purvis v State of New South Wales Hospital Corporation of America 62. The artist, Robert Hannaford, painted the Full Bench (seven member) hearing.
Gageler was arguing the case for the appellant and is shown standing at the lectern addressing the court.
Achievements
Views
Gageler defended the Commonwealth unsuccessfully in the Malaysian solution and successfully in the tobacco plain packaging cases in 2012.
