NO.021

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 Lockhart’s 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.

CANBERRA ACT

23 April 1999