Gatehouse, Danielle

As a senior member in the Office of General Counsel’s Constitutional Litigation Unit, Danielle provides strategic legal advice and representation to the Commonwealth in high-profile constitutional matters, particularly before the High Court. She regularly instructs the Commonwealth Solicitor-General and advises departments and agencies on complex questions of constitutional law, statutory interpretation, and international law.

With close to 20 years’ litigation experience, Danielle plays a key role in shaping the Commonwealth’s legal position in major constitutional proceedings. Notably, she contributed to the successful intervention by the Attorney-General in Palmer v Ayers (concerning a constitutional challenge) and has instructed on numerous High Court cases such as Palmer v Western Australia (concerning whether the state’s border closures violated s 92 of the Constitution), Work Health Authority (NT) v Outback Ballooning Pty Ltd (concerning s 109 of the Constitution); Love v The Commonwealth and Thoms v The Commonwealth (concerning s 52(xix) of the Constitution); and Hockin v Director-General of the National Archives of Australia (the Palace Papers case). Danielle was a core member of the team that advised on the High Court’s Citizenship References cases, for which she received a Secretary’s Award.

Danielle brings a depth of academic and professional expertise to her work. She has served as an Adjunct Lecturer in federal constitutional and public law at the University of Sydney. Danielle served for 2 years as Deputy Registrar and Executive Director of the ACT Supreme Court, managing and presiding over its civil lists and hearing and determining interlocutory applications. She holds a Master of Law from Oxford University and is a university medallist. Near the start of her career, Danielle was an associate to President Mason of the NSW Court of Appeal from 2007 to 2009.