Bariša Čolak

Bariša Čolak
Croat member of the Collegium of the House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 February 2015
Preceded by Dragan Čović
2nd Minister of Justice
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 January 2007
Prime Minister Nikola Špirić
Vjekoslav Bevanda
Deputy Srđan Arnaut
Preceded by Slobodan Kovač
1st Minister of Security
In office
23 December 2002 – 11 January 2007
Prime Minister Adnan Terzić
Deputy Dragan Mektić
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Tarik Sadović
Member of the House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office
March 2002 – January 2003
Prime Minister Dragan Mikerević
Adnan Terzić
Federal Minister of Justice
In office
September 1999 – March 2002
Prime Minister Edhem Bičakčić
Dragan Čović (acting)
Alija Behmen
Prime Minister of the West Herzegovina Canton
In office
1996 – September 1999
Preceded by Office established
Personal details
Born 1 January 1956
Široki Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality Croat
Political party Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Spouse(s) Anela Čolak
Children 3
Residence Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alma mater University of Mostar
Occupation Politician
Profession Lawyer

Bariša Čolak (1 January 1956) is Bosnian Croat politician and lawyer. As of 2007, he is Minister of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Biography

Bariša Čolak was born on 1 January 1956 in Široki Brijeg. He attended elementary and high school in Široki Brijeg. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of University Džemal Bijedić of Mostar in 1979. He is currently attending postgraduate studies on subject Bosnia and Herzegovina and European Law, but because of his duties as minister, study is on halt.

From 1979 to 1988 with a break from April 1980 to April 1981, he worked as director of the constructional hardware "Metalac Lištica" which was part of the SOKO company in Mostar. From 1988 to the end of 1993 he worked as judge in Široki Brijeg. Čolak joined Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) in 1993. After that, until 1996, he was assistant of the Minister of Justice, Deputy Minister of Justice and later Minister of Justice of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia. After the war, from 1996 until September 1999, he was first Prime Minister of the West Herzegovina Canton.

He was member of the party's Municipal Board in Široki Brijeg and later member of the Cantonal Board of the West Herzegovina Canton and member of the Central Committee of the party. He was also repeatedly member of the party's Presidency.

In 1999 he become Minister of Justice of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the 2000 elections he won 5,412 votes for seat in the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he continued to be minister in the Government. From 2001 until 2002 he was acting president of the HDZ BiH, and in March 2002 he left Ministry of Justice and dedicated himself to the party's activity, since he was become president of the HDZ BiH. On the elections of 2002 he won 16,721 votes and entered Federal Parliament. He remained party's president until 2005. In January 2003 he become Minister of Safety of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and held that duty until 2007. Again, in February 2007 he was named Minister of Justice, and currently he holds this duty. He is also member of the Presidency of HDZ BiH.

Personal life

Čolak is married to Anela Čolak and he has three children, daughters Marija and Ana and son Marko.

Sources