Israel’s courts face more than 1.1 million open cases, with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem worst hit
Israeli courts are carrying about 1.1 million open cases, according to data obtained by Walla from the Judicial Authority in response to a Freedom of Information request. Of the total 1,099,635 open files in courts and tribunals, 139,864 have been open for more than three years and 17,614 for more than five years.
The heaviest overall load is in Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, which has 37,500 open cases. Next come Magistrate’s Court Haifa with 36,500, Magistrate’s Court Jerusalem with 34,500, and Jerusalem’s Local Affairs Court with 36,000 open files. In the Magistrate courts overall there are about 412,000 cases, in the district courts about 32,000, and in the Supreme Court more than 4,000.
Among the oldest cases, the Central District Court has the most files older than five years, with 1,634. It is followed by Tel Aviv District Court with about 1,200, Haifa District Court with 975, and Beersheba District Court with 887. In the Magistrate courts, Jerusalem has the most such old cases, with 327. The High Court of Justice has 25 petitions open for more than five years, and about 1,200 cases open in total.
By category, about 32,000 civil cases have been open more than three years, along with roughly 15,000 local affairs cases, 6,000 family cases, 5,000 criminal cases, and 3,000 traffic cases. About 95% of open liquidation and bankruptcy files have been waiting more than five years, while there are about 26,000 small claims cases open and none older than five years. The figures were released amid a shortage of judges, with dozens of vacancies, including four of 15 Supreme Court posts, after Justice Minister Yariv Levin refused to convene the judicial appointments committee and work with Supreme Court President Isaac Amit. After a petition to the High Court, Levin said he would appoint judges to the Magistrate courts and the Beersheba District Court. “The data show a chronic and worrying picture of overload in the courts,” said Uri Sold, head of information at the Movement for Freedom of Information, adding that there is “nothing comparable in the Western world” to the burden on Israel’s courts.
