State Prosecutor Warns New Police-Complaints Law Could Undermine Independence

State Attorney Amit Isman sharply criticized the new Police Internal Investigations Department law on Thursday at the Haifa Conference on Law, saying it raises “a real concern about weakening the independence of investigative and prosecutorial bodies, especially in the most sensitive cases.” He warned that the legislation could eventually be used as pressure on prosecutors and investigators.

Isman suggested the law may serve a broader purpose than the official restructuring of the department. He said remarks made during and after the legislative process create “very serious concern” that the law is not seen only as an organizational reform in the Police Internal Investigations Department, but also as a mechanism that could later be used to pressure the State Attorney’s Office, prosecutors, investigators, and others in the performance of their duties.

He also criticized the appointment mechanism for the department head, saying the method of selection itself is problematic. In his words, the law provides that the head of the Police Internal Investigations Department will be chosen by “a committee with a clearly political character.” He added, “This is not a question of the identity of the candidate. It is a question of the appointment method.”

Isman said that in a democracy it is not enough for a body to be independent, it must also appear independent in the public’s eyes. He further pointed to the new coordinator for police-investigation matters created under the law, saying the role would have broad authority to decide which body investigates sensitive cases involving police officers and other parties, including prosecutors and State Attorney’s Office personnel.