State Comptroller Uncovers Major Security and Oversight Failures in Israel's Public Defender Service

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman has released a critical audit report on the Public Defender Service of Israel, highlighting significant shortcomings in oversight, eligibility verification, fee collection, and data security. The audit, conducted within the Public Defender Service and the Ministry of Justice, with supplementary checks in other bodies, reveals that the service, which represents approximately 63% of criminal defendants nationwide and serves over half a million suspects, defendants, and prisoners, does not adequately verify eligibility for legal representation as required by law.

The report also identifies deficiencies in the collection of fees and the granting of exemptions, warning that the absence of uniform criteria may lead to inconsistent decisions across different regional offices. Severe criticism was directed at the supervision of external defense attorneys, noting that issues flagged by the Comptroller over a decade ago remain unresolved. Recommendations include formalizing oversight mechanisms, establishing binding procedures, training supervisory personnel, and exploring the use of artificial intelligence tools to monitor case management.

A particularly alarming finding concerns information security: 392 employees with system access could view sensitive data on all clients, encompassing records dating back to 1996 for more than half a million individuals. The Public Defender Service has not implemented data segmentation to restrict access based on employee roles. The State Comptroller urges both the Public Defender Service and the Ministry of Justice to strengthen oversight, regulate fee collection, ensure effective eligibility checks, and enhance information security to protect public rights and maintain trust in the legal system.