A high-profile silk has been appointed to lead the prosecution against a federal MP charged with assaulting a territory administrator.
Prominent Sydney-based barrister Sophie Callan SC will take on the case for Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions against Luke Gosling.
Top End Labor politician Gosling is alleged to have assaulted Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly at a Darwin festival in July.
The administrator is a vice-regal role equivalent to a state governor.
Darwin-based Gosling denies the allegations and has said he would contest the two assault charges against him.
The member for Solomon has also been charged with breaching his bail conditions on August 14.
He has since stepped aside as Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia.
Ms Callan appeared for the Crown in the prosecution of NSW ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian McDonald on corruption charges.
She represented the Crown in the unsuccessful prosecution of NT constable Zachary Rolfe who was charged with the shooting death of young Aboriginal man Kumanjayi Walker in an outback community in 2019.
Ms Callan appeared as counsel assisting in the Lindt Cafe siege inquest in Sydney and was counsel for the NSW police commissioner in the inquest into the Westfield Bondi Junction knife attack.
She also appeared for former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian who faced a corruption inquiry.
Ms Callan's appointment comes after the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions declined to take on the Gosling case.
Gosling's bail conditions bar him from coming within 50 metres of NT Government House, where Mr Connolly lives.
He has to give Mr Connolly's office 48 hours' notice before attending any event which both men might attend and must stay 15 metres away from him if they attend the same event.
