Slippery Slope

The Annual Report of the Judicial Ombudsman, former High Court Justice Eliezer Goldberg, shows that in 2012 there was a rise in the number of justified complaints against judges, even though the total number of complaints has gone down. Most of the complaints are about Rabbinical and Family Courts. The report also points to many cases of legal red tape, at all judicial levels.

(Hebrew – Ynet)

Minister of Justice Yaakov Neeman is putting forward a governmental draft law to expand the jurisdiction of Rabbinical courts to cover civilian issues as well. According to the bill, the Rabbinical courts will have the authority to judge in damages claims following divorce agreements signed before the Rabbinical court, as well as having the sole authority to judge in divorce refusal cases.

(Hebrew)

The High Court of Justice criticized the fact that no woman was elected for the committee that appoints dayanim (rabbinical court judges), in response to an appeal by religious women’s organization Emunah. Until lately, at least one woman served in the ten-member committee, but in November the Israeli Bar Association chose two men as representatives.

According to MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) major flaws were discovered in 83% of cases handled by the Rabbinate court. He said the findings presented to the State Auditing Committee reveal fundamental flaws in this court system.

(Hebrew)

Four verdicts handed out during the past year at Regional Rabbinical Courts determine that the jurisdiction of Dayyanim (Rabbinate Judges) on the issue of couples who married abroad and are seeking to divorce, does not stop at the technicality of undoing the relationship nor at issuing a “get le-humra”. In a ruling given at the Netanya Rabbinical Court, for instance, it was determined that it is possible for the court to rule according to the Halacha in cases of providing a get document for civil marriages — a direct contradiction to a ruling of the SCJ, according to which all matters relating to a civil marriage should be determined only in civil courts.

(Hebrew)

Jewish women suffering from domestic violence, who have found shelter from living with their partners in public housing, will frequently loseWeight Exercise their right to public housing. This is due to decisions by the Rabbinical Court, which frequently transfers the residential apartment to the abusive husband, who generally makes this a condition for giving the get divorce document. The Rabbinical Court decisions ignore the Ministry of Housing procedures, which dictate that a public housing apartment should always be transferred to the partner who has received custody over all or most of the children. (Hebrew)

Arabs who finished their accounting studies find it difficult to be placed for their mandatory internship at the larger firms in Israel. Of 30 Arabs who completed their third year of accounting studies at the Hebrew University, only three found internship placements. In contrast, 90 of the 120 Jews of the same class found internship placement with accounting firms.

Children of five migrant laborer families are in danger of being expelled from Israel after the Ministry of Interior demanded that they produce documents which they have already provided it with, and despite the fact that they meet criteria for remaining in Israel.

The Jerusalem Municipality will today bring up for voting a list of criteria for subsidizing educational institutions which are accredited but not governmental. Despite the fact that the Administrative Affairs Court has determined that the criteria should be changed, because the discriminate unfairly in favor of ultra-orthodox (Haredi) institutions, under the new criteria most of the subsidies will again be conveyed to the ultra-orthodox institutions, in contrast with the Arabic educational institutions, which are sidelined.

A special rabbinical court, which included Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak, sentenced a repentant artist to 39 lashes. This was after the man, Erez Yechiel, sang before a mixed dance. Following administration of the lashes the rabbis announced that as of now the singer may again be heard and invited to sing at events.