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Prvi saziv sudaca Ustavnog suda Republike Hrvatske

The former composition of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia after the proclamation of independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia in 1991. Left to right: Milan Vuković, Velimir Belajec, Vojislav Kučeković, Nikola Filipović, Ivan Marijan Severinac, Jadranko Crnić (President), Hrvoje Momčinović, Zdravko Bartovčak, Mladen Žuvela, Ante Jelavić Mitrović, Jurica Malčić

CRNIĆ, JADRANKO, LL D (1928 - 2008)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
President of the Constitutional Court 1991-1995, 1995-1999

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1952. Gained his doctor's degree in the field of constitutional law at the same faculty, in 1999. Bar examination in 1995. Court clerk at the District Court in Dugo Selo from 1952, judge at the District Court in Gospić and judge and president of the Gospić Country Court, attorney-at-law in Dugo Selo, president of the Dugo Selo Municipal Court, judge of the Supreme Court of the Socialistic Republic of Croatia, president of the Supreme Court Civil Department. Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Socialistic Republic of Croatia from 1984, and its president from 1990. Judge and president of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia from 1991.
President of the Republican Committee for the Supervision of the Elections at the first multi-party elections in 1990.
Member of the Constituent Committee of the Presidency of the Republic of Croatia for drafting the first Constitution of the Republic of Croatia in 1990.
Member of a number of expert groups for drafting laws. Editor-in-chief of the journal Zakonitost (Legality), member of the working group Law and Society - Fundamental Research of the Croatian Academy of Science and Art.
Author of several hundred articles and about 40 books (including revised editions) in the fields of labour, family, property, housing and constitutional law. Reviewed a number of books. Delivered numerous lectures on various legal fields.
President of the Croatian Red Cross and honorary senior officer of the Croatian Fire-fighting Community.
Retired on 1999.

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SOKOL, SMILJKO (1940), LL D
Judge of the Constitutional Court (7 December 1999 - 6 December 2007)
President of the Constitutional Court 1999-2003

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1964. Gained his LL D at the same faculty in the field of constitutional law, in 1976.
From 1965 worked at the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, first as assistant lecturer, then as professor and head of the Chair of Constitutional Law. From 1983 to 1985 he was vice-dean, and from 1989 to 1991 dean of the Faculty of Law in Zagreb.
As member of the Parliamentary Constitutional Commission and the Constituent Commission of the Croatian Presidency, and all their work groups, he was one of the professional authors of the first Constitution of the Republic of Croatia from 1990.
Since the inauguration of multi-party democracy, he has participated as an expert on developing new Croatian legislation in the field of public law.
From 1992, minister without portfolio in the Croatian Government, adviser of the President of the Republic in constitutional law, representative in the House of Representatives of the Croatian National Parliament, vice-president of the Parliamentary Committee for the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Political System of the House of Representatives.
Author of eight books in the field of constitutional justice and political science and more than 120 scientific and professional papers.
Member of the Société de legislation comparé in Paris, France, since 1985. Full founder-member of the Croatian Academy of Legal Sciences.
Lecturer and guest-teacher at post-graduate level at the Faculties of Law in Zagreb and Ljubljana (Slovenia), and at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb. Organizer, lecturer and participant in numerous scientific and professional domestic and international conferences, seminars and symposiums.

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KLARIĆ, PETAR (1939), LL D
Judge of the Constitutional Court (7 December 1999 - 6 December 2007)
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court (2000 - 7 December 2003)
President of the Constitutional Court (7 December 2003 - 6 December 2007)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1962. In 1966, at the same faculty, gained his LLM in the field of international law and in 1982 his LL D in the field of civil law. Bar examination in 1969.
From 1996, legal officer and counsel in several corporations, most of them business firms. In 1974 lecturer at the two-year College of Public Administration in Zagreb. From 1983 employed at the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, as senior lecturer, associate professor and professor at the Civil Law Department. From 1974 to 1984 editor-in-chief of Privreda i pravo (Economy and Law Journal) and from 1995 to 2000 editor-in-chief of Zbornik Pravnog fakulteta u Zagrebu (Journal of the Faculty of Law).
From 1990 to 1999 external member of the Parliamentary Legislative Committee and Committee for the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Political System of the House of Representatives.
Author and co-author of several textbooks, research monographs and other scientific and professional papers in the field of civil law.
Head of the expert work group for drawing up the Law of Obligations. Member of the group working on the Adaptation of the Civil-Law System in Croatia.
Full founder-member of the Croatian Academy of Legal Sciences.
Lecturer at post-graduate level in the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in the law of obligations. Organizer, lecturer and participant in numerous scientific and professional domestic and international conferences, seminars and symposiums.

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BARTOVČAK, ZDRAVKO (1934)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1996-1998

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1957.
Deputy district and county public prosecutor, county public prosecutor, attorney-at-law and State Attorney of the Socialistic Republic of Croatia.
Participated in many scientific and expert gatherings. Author of several works in the field of the protection of citizens' constitutional rights by means of the constitutional complaint.
Retired since 1999.

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BELAJEC, VLADIMIR LL D (1932)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1994-2001
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1996-1998

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University. Gained his doctor's degree in the field of civil procedure law at the same faculty, in 1985.
From 1960 employed at the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, as assistant lecturer, lecturer and assistant professor at the Department of Civil Procedure Law.
Deputy chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Republic of Croatia in 1992.
Participated in closer working groups for drafting the Civil Procedure Act and the Marriage and Family Act.
Author of many scholarly and expert works in civil procedure law and executive court law.
Retired since 2001.

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FILIPOVIĆ, NIKOLA LL D (1933 - 2007)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1991-1993

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1957. Gained his doctor's degree at the same faculty. Judicial examination in 1961.
Taught at the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, for 30 years. One time director of the Zagreb Faculty of Law.
Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Socialist Republic of Croatia from 1988, and from 1991 judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia.
Member of the Constituent Committee of the Presidency of the Republic of Croatia for drafting the first Constitution of the Republic of Croatia in 1990.
Head of the Croatian Human Rights Institute in Novi Vinodolski since its establishment.
Author of many scientific and expert works in the field of constitutional law. Co-author of four textbooks of constitutional law. Participated in many national and international scientific gatherings.
Retired on 1999.

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HRANJSKI, MARIJAN (1941)
Judge of the Constitutional Court (7 December 1999 - 6 December 2007)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1966.
Bar examination in 1969.
Assistant and deputy municipal public prosecutor of the City of Zagreb. Municipal public prosecutor of the Town of Samobor. From 1984 to 1991 deputy district public prosecutor in Zagreb. From 1991 to 1994 deputy public prosecutor of the Republic of Croatia. From 1994 to 1998 general attorney of the Republic of Croatia, and in 1999 judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia.
From 1995 to 1996 president of the Croatian Government War Crimes Commission. From 1994 to 1998 member of the National Judicial Council.
He was awarded the following state decorations: Order of Duke Branimir with chain, Order of Ante Starčević, Order of Croatian Trefoil and Medal of Homeland Gratitude.

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JELAVIĆ-MITROVIĆ, ANTE (1925)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1991-1993

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University.
Judge from 1952, and from 1963 president of the County Court in Osijek. From 1973 attorney-at-law in Osijek.
From 1990-1991 member of Parliament of the Republic of Croatia.
Retired since 1999.

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KOS, MARIO (1936)
Judge of the Constitutional Court (11 April 2001 - 10 April 2009)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1962.
Bar examination in 1967.
Between 1968 and 2001 attorney-at-law in Zagreb.
From 1982 to 1986 president of the Zagreb Law Association. From 1984 to 1987 deputy president of the Croatian Law Society, and its President from 1987 to 1994.
Editor-in chief of the journal Odvjetnik (Attorney-at-law) from 1997 to 1994.
Author of many professional articles concerning problems of attorneys-at-law, the judiciary, Constitutional Court, State Judicial Council, the protection of human rights. Author and editor of books on attorneys. Author of introductory remarks in the Commentary to the Law on Attorneys-at-Law.
Participated, organised and read papers at many professional meetings, symposiums, conferences and round tables both in Croatia and abroad.
Member of the Parliamentary Constitutional Commission for drafting the first Constitution of the Republic of Croatia in 1990, member of the Republican Committee for supervising the elections in 1990, and member of the Republican Commission for the implementation of 1991 national referendum. In 1992 representative of the Republic of Croatia at the Conference on the protection of human rights, in Madrid. In 1994 he became member of the Permanent Senate of the European Presidential Conference in Vienna.
In 1993 Dr Thomas Klestil, President of the Republic of Austria, awarded him the Great Medal of Honour for Merit of the Republic of Austria.

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Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1956. Gained his master's degree in the field of criminal law at the same faculty, in 1971.
Judge and president of the Municipal Court in Koprivnica, undersecretary in the Republican Secretariat for the Judiciary and Administration of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, judge of the Supreme Court of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, where he was also president of the Administrative Department.
From 1979 deputy editor-in-chief of the journal Zakonitost (Legality) for legal theory and practice (until 1993 Naša zakonitost - Our Legality).
Author of many scientific and expert works in the field of real estate records, court organization and extra-budgetary court functioning. Participated in many expert gatherings as reporting member or lecturer.
Retired since 1999.

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MALČIĆ, JURICA (1942)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1994-2002
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1998-2001

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University. in 1972.
From 1972 to 1990 held various jobs in the state administration. From 1991 adviser to and deputy of the Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Deputy Minister of Justice and Administration, Secretary to the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Public Administration.
Author of several expert works in the field of administration and local self-government.
Retired since 2002.

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MOMČINOVIĆ, HRVOJE LL M (1936)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1993-1995

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1959. Gained his master's degree in the field of commercial law at the same faculty.
State Attorney for the Municipality of Zagreb, judge of: the Municipal Court, the Commercial Court, the High Commercial Court of the Republic of Croatia and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, where he acted as president of the Civil Commercial Law Department.
President of the Croatian Society for the Science and Practice of Civil Law.
Author of several books and numerous articles in the field of civil and commercial law. Lecturer at expert conferences and symposiums in these fields.
After the expiry of his term of office as Constitutional Court judge, he was appointed Head of the Agency for the Protection of Market Competition. Editor-in-chief of the journal Hrvatska pravna revija (Croatian Legal Journal)
Retired since 2003.

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MRKONJIĆ, IVAN (1936)
Judge of the Constitutional Court (7 December 1999 - 6 December 2007)

Bar examination in 1965.
From 1968 judge in the Samobor Municipal Court. Afterwards worked in business firms and as secretary of the Forestry Faculty of Zagreb University. Held the office of adviser in administration, and from 1990 to 1995 was Assistant Minister of Health.
From 1995 to 1999 president of the Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia. From 1997 to 1999 president of the Croatian Electoral Commission.
Author of many research papers and co-author of two books on health organisation and labour and administrative law. He has also delivered papers at symposiums in these fields.
Member of the secretariat of the Public Administration Institute, and from 1998 to 2000 on the editorial board of the periodical Hrvatska javna uprava (Croatian Public Administration).
He was awarded the following state decorations: Order of Croatian Pleter, Medal of the Homeland Defence War and Medal of Homeland Gratitude.

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POTOČNJAK, ŽELJKO (1953), LL D
Judge of the Constitutional Court (11 April 2001 - 10 April 2009)
Acting President of the Constitutional Court (7 December 2007 - 12 June 2008)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1981. Gained his master's degree (1984) and doctorate (1992, dissertation Pravo na štrajk /The Right to Strike/) at the same Faculty.
From 1982, employed at the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, first as research assistant, then as assistant professor, than as associate professor and finally as professor at the Department of Labour and Social Security Law.
In 1987-1988 at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, within the scientific exchange program. In 1993-1994 professional training at the Faculty of Law J.W.Goethe, Frankfurt University, Germany.
In 1992-1995 member of the work group for drafting the Labour Bill; co-head of the Labour Law project (1992-1995), which was part of the Croatian-German project Reshaping of the Croatian Legal System. In 1997-1998 member of the Croatian Government Work Group for examining the conformity of Croatian legislation with the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. President of the Work Group for examining the conformity of Croatian legislation with the European Social Charter. Head of the expert group for drafting the law on reforming the pay-as-you-go section of the Croatian pension system. In 2000 member of work groups for drafting revisions and amendments of laws in the field of labour and social security issues.
In 1998-2001 president of the Administrative Council of the Croatian Pension Institute, and Croatian Government representative in the Social Cohesion Committee of the Council of Europe. From 2000 until the election as a judge to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, headed the work group for drafting the long-term development strategy of Croatian pension system.
Author of about sixty scientific and professional papers.
Lecturer at post-graduate level at the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in European law.

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RAČAN, AGATA (1944)
Judge of the Constitutional Court (11 April 2001 - 10 April 2009)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1970.
Trainee in the Public Administration Institute. In 1974-1980 adviser-editor in the Informator firm. In 1980-1986 advisor in the Republican Construction, Housing and Utilities Board. In 1986-1988 secretary of the Housing Commission of the Parliamentary Executive Council. In 1988-1998 assistant head of the Legislation Office of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, then head of the Regulations Writing Department of the Ministry of Privatisation. In 1999 senior professional adviser in the Legislation Bureau of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. In 2000 until the election as a judge to the Constitutional Court, deputy minister for European Integration - Department for harmonization of the Croatian legal system with the legal system of European Union.
During the entire years of service worked exclusively on the legal expert works, and from 1980 particularly on nomotechnical elaboration of laws and other regulations.
Author of many professional articles and contributions.
Participated, organised and lectured at many professional meetings, symposiums, conferences both in Croatia and abroad.

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RAJIĆ, EMILIJA (1942)
Judge of the Constitutional Court (7 December 1999 - 6 December 2007)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1973.
Worked in business firms on property rights, law of obligations, financial and investment transactions, and legal counselling.
From 1990 member of the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia, and member of the Parliamentary Legislative Committee and Transport and Communications Committee.
In 1990 appointed vice-president of the Restructuring and Development Agency of the Republic of Croatia. In 1993 appointed vice president of the Croatian Privatisation Fund, and in 1995 appointed Deputy Minister for Privatisation.
From 1993 to 1999 member of the Croatian delegation for solving property relations with states that emerged from the system of former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Macedonia).
Author and co-author of many bills and other regulations.
She was awarded the following state decorations:, Order of Croatian Danica with the image of Blaž Lorković and Order of Croatian Pleter

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SEVERINAC, IVAN MARIJAN (1928 - 2006)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1994-1995

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1959. Bar examination in 1961.
From 1948 to 1959 administrative clerk. From 1960 to 1963 judge of the District Courts in Jastrebarsko and Ogulin.
Between 1964 and 1990 editor in the fields of labour and welfare law and deputy editor-in-chief of the journal Informator.
From 1990 to 1991 member of the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia and deputy chairman of the Legislation Committee of the Croatian Parliament.
Co-author, editor and reviewer of several expert legal manuals and lecturer at legal seminars in the field of labour law.
Retired on 1999.

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Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1967. In 1968-1971 studied at the International Faculty of Comparative Law in Paris, France.
Bar examination in 1967.
Worked in the Zagreb firm Novogradnja in various capacities.
From 1990, member of the Croatian Parliament and president of the Legislative and Legal Commission of the Croatian Parliament. In 1991 Assistant Minister of Internal Affairs for public security. From October 1991 to 1992 speaker of the Socio-Political Council of the House of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament and member of the Commission for Supervising the Work of the State Security Service. In 1992 President of the Parliamentary Committee for Election, Appointment and Administrative Affairs of the House of Representatives, member of the Parliamentary Committee for Judicature and of the Parliamentary Committee for the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Political System of the Chamber of Representatives.
Member of the Parliamentary Commission for Constitutional Issues, president of the Parliamentary Constitutional Commission and member of the Constituent Commission of the Croatian Presidency for drafting the first Constitution of the Republic of Croatia in 1990.
First president of the Commission for Establishing Second World War Crimes and Post-war Victims. Member of the council of the Croatian Political Prisoners' Society.
He fought in the Homeland Defence War, is Reserve Brigadier General of the Croatian Army.
He was awarded the following state decorations: Order of Duke Trpimir with chain and Danica; Order of Ante Starčević, Order of Stjepan Radić, Medal of the Homeland Defence War; Medal of Homeland Gratitude.

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VUKOVIĆ, MILAN (1933)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1992, 1995-1997, 1999-2007

High school diploma in Split in 1952 (concentration on Greek and Latin). Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1956. Bar examination in 1960. Enrolled in the Register of Attorneys in 1961. In 1961-1991 attorney-at-law in Zagreb, engaged mostly as an advocate in criminal proceedings, especially in so-called political proceedings against Croatian intellectuals who represented the idea of independent Croatia. Elected Constitutional Court judge three times (1991, 1995, 1999). President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia, 1992-1995, 1997-1999. Member of the Constituent Commission of the Presidency of the Republic of Croatia for drafting the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia in 1990. From 1993-1995 member of the Commission for War Crimes of the Republic of Croatia. President of the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia in 1992-1995. Member of National Judicial Council in 1994-1995. Author of eight books in the field of defence in criminal procedure law and court proceedings. In 1993 initiated publication of Izbor odluka Vrhovnog suda Republike Hrvatske (Collection of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia); in 1997 of the professional periodical Hrvatsko sudstvo (The Croatian Judiciary) and in 1998 of the special edition Ing. pregled sudske prakse (Overview of Judicial Practice). Author of more than sixty professional papers. Participated, organised and read papers at many professional meetings, symposiums, conferences and round tables both in Croatia and abroad. He was awarded the following state decorations: Order of Ante Starčević for the contribution to the creation of the Republic of Croatia, Order of Ante Starčević for defence of political prisoners, Grand order of Duke Trpimir with chain and Danica, Medal of the Homeland Defence War 1990-1992 and Medal of Homeland Gratitude.

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ŽUVELA, MLADEN (1936)
Judge of the Constitutional Court 1991-1999
Vice-president of the Constitutional Court 1998-1999

Graduated from the Faculty of Law, Zagreb University, in 1959. Bar examination in 1962.
Court clerk and case officer at the Municipal Court, Public Attorney of the Municipality, head of the court practice records department, judge and president of the Civil Department of the Supreme Court of the Socialist Republic of Croatia and editor of the journal Pregled sudske prakse (Court Practice Review).
Author of many scientific and expert works and lecturer at numerous expert seminars and gatherings.
Retired since 1999. From 2001 external member of the Committee for the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Political System of the Croatian Parliament.

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