[1] His father was Jack Unterhalter, a lawyer who attained public prominence representing political prisoners during apartheid.
[1] He argued several high-profile cases in the Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court, including Democratic Alliance v President, on Menzi Simelane's appointment to the National Prosecuting Authority;[4] Eisenberg v Minister of Home Affairs, on the constitutionality of immigration regulations; S v Jordan, on the criminalisation of prostitution;[5] Glenister v President, on the disbanding of the Scorpions;[6] Islamic Unity Convention v Minister of Telecommunications, a hate speech case;[7] and My Vote Counts v Speaker, on political party funding.
[8] He also represented Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa during Ian Farlam's commission of inquiry into the Marikana massacre.
[1] In October 2017, the Judicial Service Commission interviewed Unterhalter and recommended him as suitable for permanent appointment to the Gauteng High Court.
[22][23][24] In addition, he was questioned on several occasions about the strength of his record in leading black female junior counsel while at the bar.
[2] The Judicial Service Commission's repeated omission to recommend Unterhalter for elevation was often controversial and was criticised by Freedom Under Law, by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, by the Jewish Board of Deputies, and by various commentators.