Aad Kosto

Arie "Aad" Kosto (born 9 January 1938) is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and jurist.

Aad Kosto
Aad Kosto in 1985
Member of the Council of State
In office 12 September 1994 – 1 February 2008
Vice President	Willem Scholten (1994–1997) Herman Tjeenk Willink (1997–2008)
Minister of Justice
In office 27 May 1994 – 22 August 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Succeeded by	Winnie Sorgdrager
State Secretary for Justice
In office 7 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Virginie Korte-van Hemel
Succeeded by	Elizabeth Schmitz
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 17 May 1994 – 12 September 1994
In office 7 December 1972 – 7 November 1989
Parliamentary group	Labour Party
Personal details
Born	Arie Kosto (1938-01-09) 9 January 1938 Oegstgeest, Netherlands
Political party	Labour Party (from 1958)
Spouses	Anneke Reuvekamp ​ ​ (m. 1969; died 2005)​ Margot Prins ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2 daughters (first marriage)
Residence(s)	Grootschermer, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Researcher · Nonprofit director · Lobbyist · Television producer · Editor · Screenwriter · Author
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Army
Years of service	1958–1960 (Conscription) 1960–1968 (Reserve)
Rank	Private first class
Unit	Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene
Battles/wars	Cold War

Kosto attended the Gymnasium Leiden from April 1950 until June 1958 where he majored in Theology. Kosto worked as student researcher at the University of Amsterdam from June 1960 until July 1962. Kosto worked as a television producer, editor and screenwriter for the VARA from July 1962 until December 1972. Kosto was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1972, taking office on 7 December 1972. After the election of 1989 Kosto was appointed as State Secretary for Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers III, taking office on 7 November 1989. On 13 November 1991 Kosto was targeted by the radical activist group Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action (RaRa) who destroyed his house in Grootschermer with a bomb.[1] Kosto was appointed as Minister of Justice following the resignation of Ernst Hirsch Ballin, taking office on 27 May 1994. After the election of 1994 Kosto returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 17 May 1994. Following the cabinet formation of 1994 Kosto was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet and the Cabinet Lubbers III was replaced by the Cabinet Kok I on 22 August 1994 and continued to serve as a frontbencher.

In August 1994 Kosto was nominated as a Member of the Council of State, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the day he was installed as a Member of the Council of State, serving from 12 September 1994 until 1 February 2008.[2]

Kosto retired from active politic and became active in the public sector and occupied numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Stichting Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn, Copyright and Patent association, Institute for Multiparty Democracy) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Probation Agency and the Custodial Institutions Agency)