Judges and Registrars Division

The Division of Judges and Registrars was established in 2013. The Division of Judges and Registrars is entrusted with the provision of an adequate response to the needs of the judicial staff in the Israeli court system.
The Division administrates matters that concern the judicial staff starting from the stage of the application submission, the selection process, the choice and admission process of the judge or the registrar to their judicial position until their retirement, with the understanding that the judicial staff is situated at the core of the activity of the judicial system in Israel.

Please note that the appointment procedure of a judge or a senior registrar is slightly different from the procedure for the appointment of a registrar.
The different selection and choice methods will be presented on this page below.

The Division of Judges and Registrars has several main areas of activity:

The handling of candidates for judicial office
 

Here are the various administration stages:

• Application for candidacy
  The first interface of the applicant to be appointed to a judicial office (a judge, a senior registrar or a registrar) with the system is the candidacy stage. In order to submit their candidacy, the applicant must enter the judicial office candidacy submission website, and act in accordance with the instructions on the website, step by step.
   
• The process of handling the request
  After the application has been submitted in the system, the administrative process of the application will begin, which includes receiving the application, the process of contacting the endorsers and more. All as detailed in the instructions page for application for the position of a registrar, or in the instructions page for the application for the position of judge\ senior registrar. This process can take about 18 months. In the process, the candidates are sorted according to the first-in, first-out method, and according to the needs of the system. The process of the handling the application to be appointed as a judge or a senior registrar, takes place in accordance with the procedure for handling the application to be appointed as judge. The process of handling the application to be appointed as a registrar takes place in accordance with the procedure for locating and accepting registrars.

The Judicial Selection Committee
 

• The selection of judges and senior registrars
  The main role of the Judicial Selection Committee (which operates by virtue of the Basic Law: the Judiciary), is to select judges and senior registrars for the court system.
  
  A judge is appointed by the President of the State based on the selection of the Judicial Selection Committee.
  After the candidacies are submitted, the Judicial Selection Committee selects the judges and senior registrars from among the various candidates.
  Here is a link to the information page about the Judicial Selection Committee, and the ways in which it operates.
   
• Declaration of allegiance ceremony for judges and senior registrars
  After the judges and senior registrars are selected, and they are informed of their selection, a declaration of allegiance ceremony is held at the President's Residence, where they are granted with the letters of appointment. The judges are appointed by the president of the State of Israel after declaring the declaration of allegiance which is stipulated by law. In contrast, senior registrars are appointed by the Minister of Justice after they have declared the declaration of the allegiance which is stipulated by law.

The appointment of registrars

The provisions of the law

• Pursuant to Section 84 of the Courts Law [combined version], 1984, court registrars are appointed by the President of the Supreme Court with the approval of the Minister of Justice.
   
• Pursuant to Section 17(a) of the Labor Court Law, 1969, the Registrars of the Labor Courts are appointed by the President of the National Labor Court with the approval of the Minister of Justice and in consultation with the Minister of Labor and Welfare.

The handling of candidates for the position of a registrar

Here are the various administrative stages:

• Application for candidacy
  The first interface of the applicant to be appointed as registrar with the system, is the candidacy stage.
  In order to submit the candidacy, the applicant must enter the judicial office candidacy submission website, and act in accordance with the instructions on the website, step by step. 
   
• The process of handling the request
  After the application has been submitted in the system, the administrative process of the application will begin, which includes receiving the application, the process of contacting the endorsers, and more. All is as detailed in the instructions page for the application for the position of a registrar. In the process, the candidates are sorted according to the first-in, first-out method, and according to the needs of the system. The process of handling the application to be appointed as a registrar, takes place in accordance with the procedure for locating and accepting registrars.

The selection committee for registrars
 

• Candidates for the position of a registrar in the courts - will be recommended to the President of the Supreme Court and the Minister of Justice by a committee consisting of three representatives: the President of the Supreme Court; the president or vice president of the court to which the registrar will be appointed; and the Director of the Courts or someone on their behalf.
   
• Candidates for the position of a registrar in the labor courts - will be recommended by a committee consisting of four representatives: the president of the National Labor Court or someone on their behalf; the Director of the Courts or someone on their behalf; the representative of the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Services; and the representative of the Minister of Justice.

Administrative processes with regard to the judicial staff
 

• The admission of a judge or a senior registrar
  The admission stage begins from the day of the selection by the Judicial Selection Committee and lasts for several months after the admittance to the position. The chosen person is invited to a day of seminar and acquaintance with the system, during which the chosen judge or the senior registrar receives information about the organization and the terms of their employment. Later, the chosen person meets with the president of the district, declares allegiance in the presence of President of the State of Israel and receives the letter of appointment. After that, the process of admission and induction in the court begins.
   
• The admission of a registrar
  The admission stage begins from the day of selection by the selection committee for registrars, and lasts for several months after the admittance to the position. The chosen person is invited to a day of seminar and acquaintance with the system, during which the chosen registrar receives information about the organization and the terms of their employment.
   
• Administrative processes with regard to judges and registrars
  The Division of Judges and Registrars serves as the body that administrates the management of judicial human capital in various aspects: salary, promotion, personal matters, personnel affaires and welfare, vacations, ethics, additional occupation, and the like.
   
• Retirement
  The Division of Judges and Registrars accompanies the judge and senior registrar or the retiring registrar throughout the entire retirement process, including: meetings with the heads of the system, meetings with the administrative staff and a retirement related workshop.

Employment of retired judges*

This category presents the employment options available to retired judges (within the court system), after their retirement.

• An associate judge
  Only a retired judge can be appointed to the position of an associate judge.
  An associate judge is appointed in accordance with the provisions of section 10a of the Courts Law [combined version], 1984.
  The law states that the number of associate judges who will serve shall not exceed 15% of the number of regular staffed judges in the Magistrate Courts or in the District Courts or in the Regional Labor Courts, as the case may be. The appointment of associate judges is intended to assist the work of the court. The appointment process is done in accordance with the procedure for appointing an associate judge.
  An associate judge will serve as a judge in a court whose rank is not higher than the rank of the court in which they served on the eve of their retirement. An associate judge can continue to serve as a judge for all intents and purposes, but may serve part-time.
   
• A chairperson of an appeal committee
  Under the judicial system and alongside the courts, there are appeal committees on various issues. Various laws determine the powers of the committee, the structure of the committee and its chairperson.
  Appointments of the chairpersons of the committees from among serving and retired judges lies within the responsibility of the Division for Judges and Registrars. When a judge temporarily serves as the chairperson of a committee, they continue their duties as a full-fledged judge at the same time. The Division for Judges and Registrars manages the appointment processes of both the chairpersons of the committees and the members of the committee, the letters of appointment and their expiration date.
  Also, the Division for Judges and Registrars works vis-a-vis the various relevant government ministries (whose work corresponds to the areas of work of the appeal committees), in accordance with the laws and the appointment authority in order to appoint chairpersons and members of the committees.
  
  *For the most part, a retired judge will be appointed to the position of chairperson of the appeals committee.