Fed: Former royal commissioner Frank Costigan dies

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2009
Fed: Former royal commissioner Frank Costigan dies

MELBOURNE, April 13 AAP - Former anti-corruption royal commissioner Frank Costigan
has died aged 78 after a long illness.

Mr Costigan died in a Melbourne hospital about 7.10am (AEDT) on Sunday.

He is survived by his five children and 10 grandchildren, his nephew Gerry Costigan said.

In 1980, Mr Costigan was appointed to chair the royal commission on the activities
of the Federated Ship Painters and Dockers union.

The commission moved on from the investigation of union violence and crime to other
organised crime and allegations of tax evasion, which became known as "bottom of the harbour"

schemes.

Mr Costigan was born on January 14, 1931, and raised in the Melbourne suburb of Preston.

He was educated at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne.

He was admitted to the bar as a solicitor in 1953 and appointed a Queen's Counsel 20 years later.

After the royal commission, he became involved in Catholic campaigns for social justice.

During the 1998 waterfront dispute, he accused the Patrick Corporation of using the
same "bottom of the harbour" corporate strategies he had earlier exposed.

In 2005, he was appointed chairman of the Australian branch of Transparency International,
an anti-corruption coalition.

Gerry Costigan said his uncle had a great intellect.

"He was a fantastic facilitator of situations involving mediation," he told AAP.

He said his uncle suffered a range of illnesses over the past couple of years.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be made for Mr Costigan.

Mr Costigan was the brother of former Melbourne Lord Mayor Peter Costigan who died in 2002.

AAP gfr/sn/cdh

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