The Treasurer, the Hon Peter Costello, MP, today announced the nomination of the Hon. Justice John Lockhart, AO, Judicial Specialist with the World Bank, to the position of Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.
Justice Lockhart will be representing a constituency of countries within the Bank, the members of which are: Australia; Cambodia; Hong Kong, China; Kiribati; the Federated States of Micronesia; Nauru; the Solomon Islands; and Tuvalu. Following the formal election of Executive Directors at the ADB Annual General Meeting in early May, he is expected to take up the position in July 1999 for a three year period.
Australia has been a member of the ADB since it was established in 1966 to assist the economic and social development of countries of the Asia Pacific. Australia remains one of the most significant shareholders in the Bank and attaches considerable importance to its work within the region.
Justice Lockharts main duties will be to examine and provide advice on the wide range of policy issues considered by the ADB Executive Board, including ADB loan and budgetary proposals.
As Judicial Specialist with the World Bank since March 1998, Justice Lockhart has been assisting developing countries in legal and judicial reform projects. His extensive experience in international and commercial law will be invaluable to the ADB Board, and to Australia and the other members of our constituency.
Justice Lockhart is on long service leave from the Federal Court of Australia, on which he has served since 1978. In this position he has had 20 years involvement, at a senior level, in matters relating to international legal issues; anti-trust; consumer protection; intellectual property; labour; native title; bankruptcy; refugees and immigration; commerce and corporations and the Australian Constitution. Justice Lockhart will retire from the Federal Court and the Australian Competition Tribunal, of which he has been President since 1982, before taking up his appointment at the ADB.