1. Stephen John Gageler is an Australian judge and former barrister.
21 Facts About Stephen Gageler
1. 2.
Stephen Gageler has been a Justice of the High Court of Australia since 2012 and was appointed Chief Justice of Australia in 2023.
3.
Stephen Gageler previously served as Solicitor-General of Australia from 2008 to 2012.
4.
Stephen Gageler is a graduate of the Australian National University and Harvard Law School and was a barrister in private practice before his appointment as solicitor-general.
5.
Stephen Gageler was influenced to become a lawyer by meeting Bryan Beaumont, at the time the owner of a property near Stephen Gageler's boyhood home, who later became a judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
6.
Stephen Gageler graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Economics in 1980 and a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours in 1982.
7.
Stephen Gageler resided at Bruce Hall, the university's oldest residential college, in his third year, and at Ursula Hall for his first two.
8.
Stephen Gageler became an associate for High Court Justice Sir Anthony Mason.
9.
Stephen Gageler then attended Harvard Law School on a Fulbright scholarship, graduating with a Master of Laws degree in 1987.
10.
Stephen Gageler represented, among others, Betfair, the Humane Society, the ACT Government, and John Howard.
11.
Stephen Gageler was assistant counsel for the Commercial Radio Enquiry in 1999.
12.
Stephen Gageler was appointed the Solicitor-General of Australia on 1 September 2008, based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
13.
Stephen Gageler defended the Commonwealth unsuccessfully in the Malaysian solution challenge and successfully in the tobacco plain packaging cases in 2012.
14.
Roxon announced that Stephen Gageler would replace Justice William Gummow on his retirement in October 2012.
15.
On 22 August 2023 the Federal Government announced that Stephen Gageler would succeed Susan Kiefel as Chief Justice of the High Court upon her retirement at the end of the year.
16.
Stephen Gageler's likeness appears in a painting from 2003 that was commissioned to mark the Court's centenary.
17.
Stephen Gageler was arguing the case for the appellant and is shown standing at the lectern addressing the court.
18.
The family attends a Roman Catholic church, through the influence of Carla, although Stephen Gageler considers himself an Anglican.
19.
Stephen Gageler has a black belt in taekwondo, a sport that he took up in his early 40s after seeing his sons training.
20.
Stephen Gageler took three years to attain the black belt.
21.
In 2017 Stephen Gageler was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the law and to the judiciary through contributions in the areas of constitutional, public, international, common and criminal law, to legal reform, education and academic discourse, and to professional organisations.