Lockhart review delivered to government

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19 December 2005
JB201/05

The Hon John Lockhart AO QC has today delivered findings to the Australian Government from the independent review of The Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002.

Mr Lockhart, a former Federal Court Judge, was chair of the review committee (membership attached) which received 1035 written submissions.

The minister with portfolio responsibility for the legislation, the Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop, has tabled the report out of session in the Senate and the House of Representatives and has referred it to the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Chair of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

"I acknowledge and thank the committee for its work in conducting the review, including holding meetings in each state and territory, and in meeting the legislative deadline of
19 December 2005," Ms Bishop said.

Media Contact: Murray Hansen 0417 886 155

Committee Membership

The Honourable John Lockhart AO QC (NSW) CHAIR

The Honourable John Lockhart is a highly regarded member of the international legal community. He was a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia from 1978 until 1999. He has been a member of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization, Geneva, Switzerland since 2002 and was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the International Legal Services Advisory Council in 2004. Mr Lockhart has highly relevant experience in chairing high level committees that deliberate on contentious issues.

Associate Professor Ian Kerridge (NSW)

Associate Professor Kerridge is a highly regarded clinical ethicist and specialist haematologist. He is Associate Professor in Bioethics and Director of the Centre for Values, Ethics and Law in Medicine at the University of Sydney and Staff Haematologist/Bone Marrow Transplant Physician at Westmead Hospital, Sydney. Associate Professor Kerridge has highly relevant skills and expertise demonstrated through his work and publications in the fields of health ethics.

Professor Barry Marshall (WA)

2005 Nobel Laureate Professor Marshall is Research Professor of Microbiology at the University of Western Australia and also brings generalist scientific expertise in addition to his abilities in community representation. He is a highly awarded scientist of international renown who is also a successful community advocate both in Australia and overseas. He is a specialist gastroenterologist who is noted for his discovery of the link between the bacteria Helicobacter pylori and gastric ulcers. Professor Marshall and a colleague won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this discovery.

Associate Professor Pamela McCombe (QLD) Field of medicine and science

Associate Professor McCombe is a Consultant Neurologist and a Visiting Medical Officer at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and holds the position of Associate Professor, Department of Medicine at the University of Queensland. She is Chair of the Wesley Research Institute Research Committee and Chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the Australian Association of Neurologists.

Professor Peter Schofield (NSW) Field of science

Professor Schofield is a renowned neuroscientist. He is Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Conjoint Professor at the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales. Professor Schofield’s skills and expertise are in a highly relevant scientific discipline to the review subject matter.

Professor Loane Skene (Vic) Field of law and ethics

Professor Skene is a renowned lawyer, ethicist and academic. She is Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor of Law in the Law Faculty and an Adjunct Professor of Law in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Professor Skene has highly relevant skills and expertise demonstrated through her work and publications in the fields of health law and ethics.

 

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