- Frank Costigan
Francis Xavier (Frank) Costigan QC (b.
14 January 1931 ) is anAustralian lawyer who is most famous for chairing theCostigan Commission into organised crime.Costigan grew up in
Preston, Victoria , a suburb ofMelbourne and was educated by theJesuits at St Patricks College, East Melbourne, and at theUniversity of Melbourne , where he obtained a law degree. He was admitted as asolicitor in Victoria in 1953 and became abarrister in 1957. He was appointed aQueen's Counsel in Victoria in 1973, and has been admitted to practice throughout Australia and inIreland .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.Costigan has subsequently been involved in Catholic campaigns for social justice. He is a director and deputy chair of Jesuit Social Services. In the
1998 Australian waterfront dispute he accused thePatrick Corporation of using the same "bottom of the harbour" corporate strategies as he had exposed in his Commission.Costigan now mainly practices 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 is the brother of former
Lord Mayor of Melbourne ,Peter Costigan , now deceased.References
External links
* [http://www.vicbar.com.au/bp.aspx?RollNumber=559 Victorian Bar Council]
* [http://www.jss.org.au/about/FCostigan.html Jesuit Social Services]
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