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The Supreme Court is the highest judicial forum in the state. It sits in Jerusalem, the capital, and its jurisdiction extends throughout the state. It is the highest judicial authority, and its precedents are binding not only on all lower courts, but also on all persons and other authorities in the state. Together with the legislative arm (the Knesset) and the executive arm (the Government), the Judiciary, and the Supreme Court at its head, stands at one of the apexes of the triangle of the three authorities of the regime.
The Supreme Court is empowered to hear appeals from judgements of the District Courts in civil, criminal, or other proceedings, whether sitting as courts of first instance, or on appeals from judgements of Magistrates Courts, or from decisions of administrative judicial bodies. The Supreme Court is also empowered, in addition to other special powers conferred upon it, to hear appeals from judgements of disciplinary tribunals such as the Disciplinary Tribunal of Civil Servants, and the National Disciplinary Tribunal of the Chamber of Advocates, and - by leave of the court - from judgements of the Military Appeals Court Martial.
The Supreme Court exercises special jurisdiction when sitting as a High Court of Justice. In this capacity it is empowered to exercise judicial review of the legality of the acts and decisions of State and local authorities, and of other institutions of the regime, and bodies and persons, fulfilling public duties under the law. It may also order the release of persons unlawfully detained, or whose movements are unlawfully restricted. It may also review the legality of the acts of courts and tribunals (including religious courts) from the decisions of which no appeal to the Supreme Court ordinarily lies, in matters pending before them.
The Supreme Court, sitting as a High Court of Justice, also hears petitions by the inhabitants of Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
The Supreme Court sits in a panel of three judges, or any greater uneven number. Certain matters are also heard before a single judge.
The Supreme Court is also empowered to conduct a re-hearing of a matter heard before three judges, before a panel of five, or a greater uneven number of judges. This may be done where a rule laid down by the court conflicts with a previous ruling of the Supreme Court, or where the importance, difficulty, or novelty of the rule renders a further hearing desirable. The court may also order, in certain circumstances laid down by law, the retrial of a criminal case in which a final judgement has been given.
The erection of a building for the Supreme Court has been made possible by a contribution of the Rothschild Foundation, and through the praiseworthy initiative of Dorothy de Rothschild, of blessed memory, in response to an approach by the President of the Supreme Court. All the investments in the building and its surroundings have been made by the Rothschild Foundation alone.
The design of the Supreme Court building was chosen by an international competition held in 1985. 174 Israeli architects participated in the first stage of the competition and 4 of them joined 6 previously chosen firms in submitting designs for final selection. The winning design was the work of the Israeli architects, Ram Karmi and Ada Karmi-Melamede.
The court building is situated in the David Ben-Gurion complex, and comprises a vestibule, library, courtrooms, judges' chambers, boardrooms, and an administrative wing. It also includes a public area with rooms for lawyers and journalists, a post office, and restaurant.
The foundation stone of the Supreme Court building was laid on April 29, 1987, and the building operations began in 1989. The building will be opened in a State ceremony, attended by the President of the state, its leaders and judges, on November 10th 1992.
