The Legal Bureau

The legal bureau in the court system works to achieve the goals of the court system in Israel, while encouraging and promoting the values of upholding the law, proper administration and moral integrity.
The legal bureau in the court system has about 30 employees, including lawyers, administrative employees and students. Among its areas of activity, the legal bureau guides and advises all the professional bodies and units in the system in the legal aspects of their work. The Legal Bureau also makes available the legal tools and means the court system needs to implement the systemic policy, in order to ensure activity according to the law and the rules of good governance while maintaining the principle of the separation of powers and the independence of the judicial discretion.

The legal bureau headed by the Legal Advisor of the court system consists of eight departments.

Below are the departments and their activity:

The Lawsuit Department
The lawsuit department is entrusted with handling all legal proceedings taken against the courts administration and those on its behalf in various courts (including the execution of court decisions), including legal proceedings in which at some point the involvement of the courts administration is indicated and its viewpoint is required, even if it is not a party to a formal legal proceeding, as well as on the legal proceedings initiated at the initiative of the courts administration.
 

Legislation and Secretariats Department
The department is responsible for ongoing handling of all aspects of legislation that concerns the court system (primary legislation, regulations, orders, various announcements which are published from time to time to the public, etc.). Also, the department is entrusted with the provision of intra-organizational legal advice to the professional units that operate within the court system.



The Department of Personnel Affairs, Judges and Human Capital
The Department is entrusted with the provision of ongoing legal advice to the Division for Judges and Registrars, to the administration and to the Division for the Human Capital Management in the court system. In the area of judicial office holders, the staff provides legal advice, among other things, regarding terms of office and salaries of judges, appointment procedures for judges, providing legal opinions on matters that concern judges, advice regarding the committee for selecting judges and is providing responses to inquiries from judges and inquiries from the public on issues related to the different areas under supervision.
In the area of human capital management , the staff provides ongoing legal advice, including, providing answers to legal questions related to the hiring of employees, the conditions of their employment, at the termination of their employment, accompaniment and legal advice in reform procedures led by the system in relation to employees, accompanying negotiations with employees, collective agreements and more.
The department staff consists of the Director of Personnel Affairs, Judges and Human Capital Department, attorney Moran Freund, and attorney Hila Gabay.


The Department for Information and Privacy
The Department for Information and Privacy provides legal advice to all units of the courts administration, including accompanying organizational processes and providing responses to external parties on issues related to the freedom of information and access to information, information security and privacy protection.
The Legal Advisor of the Information and Privacy Department is attorney Yasmin Gendelman.


The Department for Procurement and Tenders
The Department for Procurement and Tenders is entrusted with the provision of legal advice in the area of procurement and tenders, in accordance with the Mandatory Tenders Law and the regulations and the relevant instructions of the Accountant General. In addition, the department is responsible for the authoring of the tenders and the validation of their legality.
The Legal Advisor of the Department for Procurement and Tenders is attorney Shai Tsarfati.


Freedom of Information Department
The department is entrusted with the provision of information to the public, among other things, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Law.
The department operates by virtue of the Freedom of Information Law, 5758 - 1998.
The Freedom of Information Law has enshrined the right of every citizen or resident to receive information held by public authorities.
In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law, the department operates and provides answers to inquiries received by it. The guiding rule for providing the information is that the authority will respond positively to the request, unless the disclosure of the information would harm another interest such as national security, the privacy of people, commercial secrets, etc.

Detailed information about the law can be found on the website of the Government Freedom of Information Unit of the Ministry of Justice, and in the elaboration that appears on the information page about the Freedom of Information Law.
The department staff consists of the Head of the Freedom of Information Department, Ms. Sharon Saban Safrai, and Ms. Rona Masrufi.

The Mediation Department
The main function of the mediation department is policy formulation and coordination of the use of the mediation process and other alternatives for resolving disputes by agreement.


The Department for Legal Aid Between Countries in the Courts Administration

The Department for Legal Aid between Countries in the Courts Administration, operates by virtue of the authorization of the Director of the Courts in the Legal Aid to Foreign Countries Law - 1998, and in other regulations, and serves as its long arm before the corresponding authorities around the world, and in other work interfaces with the courts, the Office of the State Attorney, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israel Police and internal organizations.