Frank Costigan
Encyclopedia
Francis Xavier "Frank" Costigan, QC
(14 January 1931 – 13 April 2009) was an Australian lawyer who is most famous for chairing the Costigan Commission
into organised crime.
, a suburb of Melbourne
and was educated by the Jesuits at St Patricks College, East Melbourne, and at the University of Melbourne
, where he obtained a law degree. He was admitted as a solicitor
in Victoria in 1953 and became a barrister
in 1957. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel
in Victoria in 1973, and was admitted to practise throughout Australia and in Ireland
.
from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. Costigan, along with a group of lawyers including John Button
, John Cain
, Xavier Connor
QC
, Barry Jones
, and Richard McGarvie
, formed a reform group called the Participants which challenged the undemocratic state executive for control of the party and supported the political agenda of then opposition leader, and later prime minister, Gough Whitlam
he accused the Patrick Corporation
of using the same "bottom of the harbour" corporate strategies as he had exposed in his Commission.
Costigan later mainly practised in Alternative Dispute Resolution
, either as Arbitrator or Mediator.
In 2005 he was appointed chairman of the Australian branch of Transparency International
, an anti-corruption coalition.
Costigan was the brother of former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Peter Costigan
.
He had 10 grandchildren.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(14 January 1931 – 13 April 2009) was an Australian lawyer who is most famous for chairing the Costigan Commission
Costigan Commission
The Costigan Commission was a controversial Australian royal commission....
into organised crime.
Background and early life
Costigan grew up in Preston, VictoriaPreston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
, a suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and was educated by the Jesuits at St Patricks College, East Melbourne, and at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, where he obtained a law degree. He was admitted as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in Victoria in 1953 and became a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in 1957. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in Victoria in 1973, and was admitted to practise throughout Australia and in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Political Activist
Costigan was active in the campaign to reform the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. Costigan, along with a group of lawyers including John Button
John Button
John Norman Button was an Australian politician, who served as a senior minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments...
, John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
, Xavier Connor
Xavier Connor
Francis Xavier Connor, AO, QC was an Australian jurist.Known professionally as Xavier Connor, he was Chair of the Victorian Bar Council from 1967 to 1969...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, Barry Jones
Barry Jones (Australian politician)
Barry Owen Jones AO, FAA, FASSA, FAHA, FTSE, FACE is a writer, lawyer, social activist, quiz champion and former politician. He campaigned against the death penalty throughout the 1960s, particularly against the execution of Ronald Ryan, and remains against capital punishment...
, and Richard McGarvie
Richard McGarvie
Richard Elgin McGarvie, AC, KStJ, QC was a judge in the Supreme Court of Victoria and Governor of Victoria from 1992 to 1997.-Early life:...
, formed a reform group called the Participants which challenged the undemocratic state executive for control of the party and supported the political agenda of then opposition leader, and later prime minister, Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
Royal Commissioner
In 1980, Costigan was appointed to chair the Royal Commission on the activities of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union (commonly called the Costigan Commission or the Costigan Royal Commission). The commission moved from the investigation of union criminality to allegations of tax evasion and organised crime.Social Justice Campaigns
Costigan was subsequently involved in Catholic campaigns for social justice. He was a director and deputy chair of Jesuit Social Services. In the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute1998 Australian waterfront dispute
The Australian waterfront dispute of 1998 was a watershed event in Australian Industrial Relations history, in which the Patrick Corporation undertook a restructuring of their operations for the purpose of increasing the productivity of their workforce...
he accused the Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation Ltd was an Australian publicly listed logistics conglomerate. Headed by CEO Chris Corrigan before it was absorbed by Toll Holdings in 2006, Patrick had interests in shipping, rail and aviation, including a 62% shareholding in airline Virgin Blue...
of using the same "bottom of the harbour" corporate strategies as he had exposed in his Commission.
Costigan later mainly practised in Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution includes dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement short of litigation. ADR basically is an alternative to a formal court hearing or litigation...
, either as Arbitrator or Mediator.
In 2005 he was appointed chairman of the Australian branch of Transparency International
Transparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
, an anti-corruption coalition.
Costigan was the brother of former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Peter Costigan
Peter Costigan
Peter Costigan was an Australian journalist and Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1999 to 2001. In 1999, Costigan was elected a Councillor of the City of Melbourne and subsequently elected Lord Mayor by fellow Councillors, defeating rival Councillor John So with a majority of 5-to-4 votes.Costigan grew...
.
He had 10 grandchildren.