Courts Law [Consolidated Version], 5744-1984
חוק בתי המשפט [נוסח משולב], תשמ"ד-1984
Published: 1984-08-31Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-09-01 · Last amended 2026-07-29✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Section B: District Courts
Location and Jurisdiction [II/11]§
33.
(a)The Minister of Justice may, by Order, establish District Courts and determine their location and territorial jurisdiction.
(b)Where a new District Court has been established under the provisions of subsection (a) (in this section — the new court), the following provisions shall apply:
(1)the Minister of Justice may, after consulting with the President of the Supreme Court, prescribe transitional provisions under which categories of matters as he shall determine shall not be heard in the new court but in the court in which they would have been heard had the new court not been established (in this section — the original court);
(2)
(a)a proceeding that has been filed with the original court shall be heard to its conclusion in that court;
(b)notwithstanding sub-paragraph (a), the Administrator of Courts may direct that in categories of proceedings as he shall determine from among the matters within the competence of the new court, proceedings that have been filed with the original court and in which the hearing has not yet commenced shall be transferred to the new court and heard therein;
(c)notice of proceedings transferred under sub-paragraph (b) shall be given to the parties to the proceeding and shall also be published at the registry offices of the courts concerned and on the website of the Courts Administration; notice of the categories of proceedings transferred shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).
(c)The validity of provisions under subsection (b) shall be for a period determined by the Minister of Justice, not exceeding three years from the date of establishment of the new court; jurisdiction conferred on a court to hear a proceeding by virtue of such provisions shall remain in force until the conclusion of the proceeding; for this purpose, "date of establishment of the new court" means the date of establishment as determined by the Minister of Justice in the Order made under subsection (a).
(d)Nothing in the provisions under subsection (b) shall derogate from the provisions of section 78.
Place of Sitting of the Court [II/12]§
34.
(a)A District Court shall sit at its location.
(b)A District Court may sit to hear a particular matter, in whole or in part, at a place other than its location, if it sees fit to do so in the interests of justice or for the efficiency of the hearing, provided that it shall not sit at a place outside its territorial jurisdiction except with the consent of the President of the District Court within whose territorial jurisdiction the other place is situated.
Judges [II/13]§
35.
(a)A District Court shall have judges in the number to be determined by the Minister of Justice by notice in Reshumot (Official Gazette).
(b)Each District Court shall have a President and may have one or more Vice-Presidents; however, one President may serve as President of two District Courts.
Sitting of a Judge outside His Place of Appointment [II/14]§
36.
The appointment of a judge to one District Court does not prevent him from sitting in another District Court; however, a judge shall not sit in another District Court except with the consent of the Presidents of both District Courts concerned.
Composition [II/15]§
37.
(a)In the following matters a District Court shall sit in panels of three:
(1)trials for an offence the penalty for which is death or imprisonment for ten years or more;
(2)appeals against judgments of Magistrates' Courts;
(3)any matter in which the President of the District Court or his deputy has directed that it be heard by three judges.
(b)Notwithstanding subsection (a), in the following matters a District Court shall sit with a single judge, unless the President of the court or his deputy, at the request of a party and after affording the parties an opportunity to argue their contentions in that regard, or on his own initiative, has directed in respect of a particular matter that it be heard by three judges:
(1)offences listed in Part 1 of the First Schedule;
(2)(Repealed)
(3)a preliminary hearing of an appeal;
(4)appeals against judgments of Magistrates' Courts and traffic judges, in respect of offences listed in section 25(a) of the Traffic Ordinance [New Version] that are not felonies, or in respect of administrative traffic violations as referred to in that section, except in respect of an offence under section 64 of that Ordinance;
(5)appeals in matters listed in Part 2 of the First Schedule as determined by the Minister of Justice by Order, with the consent of the President of the Supreme Court and with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset;
(6)(Repealed)
(7)appeals against judgments and other decisions under the Law for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, 5751-1991, and under the Prevention of Stalking Law, 5762-2001;
(8)appeals against judgments in matters in which a local affairs court is competent to sit under section 55;
(9)appeals against judgments of Magistrates' Courts sitting with a single judge in claims the amount or value of the subject matter of which, on the date of filing the action, does not exceed NIS 300,000, even if the amount or value subsequently increased by reason of indexation, linkage, interest, court costs or attorney's fees, except in the following claims:
(a)claims for compensation for bodily injury or claims for indemnification or compensation for pension payments, allowances and any other expense paid or to be paid in respect of bodily injury, including claims whose cause of action is under the Road Accident Victims Compensation Law, 5735-1975;
(b)claims in family matters within the meaning of the Family Court Law, 5755-1995;
(c)claims as referred to in section 51(a)(3);
(10)appeals against judgments of administrative tribunals as defined in the Administrative Tribunals Law, 5752-1992, unless otherwise provided by law;
(11)applications for interlocutory orders, temporary orders and other interim decisions, within the framework of appeals;
(12)appeals against judgments and other decisions under the Insolvency and Economic Rehabilitation Law, 5778-2018.
(c)In any matter not mentioned in subsections (a) and (b), a District Court shall sit with a single judge.
Determination of Panels and Dates [II/16]§
38.
(a)The judge or judges who are to hear a particular matter shall be determined by the President of the District Court or his deputies, and in the absence of such determination — according to a rota determined from time to time by the President of the court.
(b)The date on which the District Court is to commence hearing a particular matter shall be determined by the judge or judges who are to hear it, in accordance with rules laid down by the President of the court, and if the panel to hear it has not yet been determined — by the President of the court or his deputy.
Presiding Judge [II/17]§
39.
(a)The presiding judge in a District Court sitting in a panel of three shall be the person sitting in judgment who is first among the following:
(1)the President of a District Court;
(2)a Vice-President of a District Court, and if several Vice-Presidents are sitting in judgment — the most senior among them, and among those of equal seniority — the eldest;
(3)a former President of a District Court, and if several former Presidents are sitting in judgment — the most senior among them, and among those of equal seniority — the eldest;
(4)a former Vice-President of a District Court, and if several former Vice-Presidents are sitting in judgment — the most senior among them, and among those of equal seniority — the eldest;
(5)the most senior of the judges, and among those of equal seniority — the eldest.
(b)For the purposes of this section, seniority is reckoned according to the date of the judge's appointment to a District Court.
(c)Notwithstanding subsection (a), an associate judge shall not be the presiding judge, unless the President of the court has determined otherwise in respect of a particular panel.
Jurisdiction [II/18]§
40.
A District Court shall hear the following:
(1)any civil or criminal matter that is not within the jurisdiction of a Magistrate's Court; in a civil counter-claim, a District Court is competent to sit even if that matter or that claim is within the jurisdiction of a Magistrate's Court, and if the counter-claim concerns the same subject matter or arises from the same circumstances — even if the matter or claim is within the competence of the Economic Division under section 42e; however —
(a)where the counter-claim is within the jurisdiction of a Family Court, the court may transfer the claims to the Family Court within whose territorial jurisdiction the counter-claim would have been filed, regardless of its value, if in the court's opinion the interests of justice and the benefit of transfer outweigh the harm to any other person who is a party to the action;
(b)where the counter-claim is within the competence of the Economic Division as aforesaid, the court may transfer the claims thereto if it considers that the economic element of the claims is substantial;
(1a)an administrative petition, an administrative appeal, an administrative action, an administrative matter and any other matter, under section 5 of the Administrative Courts Law, 5760-2000;
(2)any matter that is not within the exclusive jurisdiction of another tribunal; in a matter within the concurrent jurisdiction of another tribunal, the District Court shall be competent to sit as long as that tribunal is not hearing it and provided the matter is not within the jurisdiction of a Magistrate's Court;
(3)appeals against judgments and other decisions of Magistrates' Courts;
(4)a claim in intellectual property matters connected to a claim in intellectual property matters that is within the jurisdiction of the District Court under paragraph (1), even if the amount of the claim or the value of the subject matter of the claim does not exceed the amount referred to in section 51(a)(2); in this paragraph, "a claim in intellectual property matters" means a civil claim under one or more of the following laws:
(a)Copyright Law, 5768-2007;
(b)(Repealed)
(c)the Patents and Designs Ordinance;
(d)the Protection of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications Law, 5725-1965;
(e)the Patents Law, 5727-1967;
(f)Trade Marks Ordinance [New Version], 5732-1972;
(g)the Plant Breeders' Rights Law, 5733-1973;
(h)the Performers' and Broadcasters' Rights Law, 5744-1984;
(i)the Commercial Torts Law, 5759-1999;
(j)the Designs Law, 5777-2017;
(5)a civil matter under the Companies Law, 5759-1999, except a civil claim that the Family Court is competent to hear, a civil matter under sections 6, 7 and 353a of that Law which shall be heard in the court that has jurisdiction to hear the action, and a civil matter under sections 354(b1)–(5) and 359 of that Law;
(6)an economic matter as defined in section 42a.
Appeal [II/19]§
41.
(a)A judgment of a District Court at first instance is appealable to the Supreme Court.
(b)Any other decision of a District Court in a civil matter, and a judgment of a District Court on appeal, are appealable to the Supreme Court if leave to appeal has been granted by the President of the Supreme Court or by another judge of the Supreme Court designated by the President for this purpose, or by the Supreme Court, and in the case of a judgment — also if leave has been granted in the body of the judgment; leave as referred to in this subsection in respect of any other decision shall be granted if the court is satisfied that if the appeal against the decision is to be heard within the framework of the appeal against the judgment and not immediately, this will materially affect the rights of the parties, or that a party to the proceeding is likely to suffer substantial harm, or that an unnecessary proceeding is likely to be conducted or conducted in an erroneous manner.
(c)Notwithstanding subsection (b), leave to appeal shall not be granted —
(1)in respect of categories of decisions determined by the Minister of Justice by Order, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset; where a category of decision has been determined by Order as aforesaid, the Order shall apply to a decision made after its commencement;
(2)in respect of a decision of a District Court on the question of whether a particular matter is an economic matter within the meaning of section 42b or an economic-administrative matter within the meaning of section 42c, or not; however, leave to appeal shall be granted against a decision of the court that a particular matter is not an economic matter if the consequence of the decision is that the competent court is a Magistrate's Court.
(d)Nothing in subsection (c) shall derogate from any right under law of a party to appeal against a decision as referred to in that subsection within the framework of an appeal against the judgment.
(e)
(1)Notwithstanding subsection (b) and section 8(d) of the Class Actions Law, 5766-2006, leave to appeal shall not be granted against a decision of a District Court to certify a class action under item 5 of the Second Schedule to that Law or to certify a derivative claim under section 198 of the Companies Law, 5759-1999;
(2)at the request of a party, the court shall hold a rehearing of a decision as referred to in paragraph (1) before a panel of three judges; if the panel finds that an application for a rehearing raises a matter of particular importance, sensitivity or novelty, it may direct that the hearing thereon be transferred to the Supreme Court, which shall hear the application for a rehearing as if it were an appeal against the decision; no leave to appeal shall be granted against a decision of the panel under this paragraph;
(3)nothing in this subsection shall derogate from any right under law of a party to appeal against a decision as referred to in paragraph (1) within the framework of an appeal against the judgment.
Jurisdiction of Judges [II/20]§
42.
Judicial jurisdiction conferred by law other than this Law exclusively on the President or Vice-President of a District Court is vested in every judge of that court; any other jurisdiction conferred exclusively on the President of a District Court may be delegated by him, in whole or in part, to a Vice-President.
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Contact Us →Section B-1: Economic Division
Definitions§
42a.
In this Section –
"decision of an authority" – as defined in the Administrative Affairs Courts Law;
"Arbitration Law" – Arbitration Law, 5728-1968;
"Administrative Affairs Courts Law" – Administrative Affairs Courts Law, 5760-2000;
"Investments Law" – Joint Investments in Trust Law, 5754-1994;
"Companies Law" – Companies Law, 5759-1999;
"Advisory Law" – Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment Marketing and Investment Portfolio Management Law, 5755-1995;
"Securities Law" – Securities Law, 5728-1968;
"Class Actions Law" – Class Actions Law, 5766-2006;
"economic matter" – as defined in section 42b;
"economic-administrative matter" – as defined in section 42c;
"Partnerships Ordinance" – Partnerships Ordinance [New Version], 5735-1975;
"authority" – including a stock exchange as defined in the Securities Law and a panel as defined in section 52as of the Securities Law.
Economic matter§
42b.
(a)An economic matter is any of the matters listed below, except a civil claim that the Family Court has jurisdiction to hear –
(1)a civil matter under any of the following laws:
(a)the Securities Law, except for proceedings under sections 56a(b), 56a1(b), 56b(b)(1), (g), (h) and (i), 56b1(b) and 56c1 of that Law;
(b)the Investments Law, except for the provisions of the sections referred to in sub-paragraph (a) as applied under the Investments Law;
(c)the Advisory Law, except for the provisions of the sections referred to in sub-paragraph (a) as applied under the Advisory Law;
(d)the provisions of the Companies Law listed in section 40(5), except a civil matter under Chapter I-A of Part 9 and section 362 of that Law, and a civil matter under Chapter III of Part 9 of that Law in a compromise or arrangement proceeding the purpose of which is the rehabilitation of a company;
(e)section 63 of the Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version], on a cause of action for breach of a duty under one of the laws as specified in sub-paragraphs (a) to (d);
(f)Chapter III of the Promotion of Competition and Reduction of Concentration Law, 5774-2013;
(g)Chapter VI-A of the Partnerships Ordinance;
(2)a derivative action as defined in the Companies Law, and also a derivative action as referred to in section 65ao of the Partnerships Ordinance;
(3)a civil matter relating to the rights or obligations of shareholders in a company as such, regulated by the articles of association of the company or by another contract;
(3a)a civil matter relating to the rights or obligations of holders of participation units as such, regulated by the partnership regulations or by another contract; for this purpose, "holders of participation units" and "partnership regulations" – as defined in the Partnerships Ordinance;
(4)an application for approval of a class action and a class action, under item 5 of the Second Schedule to the Class Actions Law;
(5)(Repealed)
(6)a civil matter that is within the jurisdiction of a Magistrate's Court under section 51(a)(2) or (3) or within the jurisdiction of a District Court under section 40, which is ancillary to an economic matter as referred to in paragraphs (1) to (5), provided that they share the same subject matter or arise from the same circumstances and that the portion of the economic matter is significant; if the portion of the economic matter is not significant, the court may transfer the economic matter as well to the court with jurisdiction to hear the civil matter in order for them to be heard together, if in its opinion the harm from splitting the hearing outweighs the benefit of holding the hearing before it; a court to which a claim has been transferred under this section shall not transfer it further;
(7)a counterclaim to a claim that is an economic matter as referred to in paragraphs (1) to (6), provided that they share the same subject matter or arise from the same circumstances; if the portion of the economic matter in the claims is not significant, the court may transfer them to the court that would have had jurisdiction to hear them but for the original claim being an economic matter, in order for them to be heard together, if in its opinion the harm from splitting the hearing outweighs the benefit of holding the hearing before it; a court to which claims have been transferred under this section shall not transfer them further;
(8)an indictment that includes a securities offence as defined in the Securities Law, an offence as defined in section 29(a) of the Advisory Law or an offence as defined in section 97a(a) of the Investments Law, unless the State Attorney or the District Attorney has decided to prosecute a person for them before a Magistrate's Court.
(b)The Minister of Justice may, by Order, with the consent of the President of the Supreme Court and with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, designate additional matters as an economic matter.
Economic-administrative matter§
42c.
(a)An economic-administrative matter is a petition against a decision of an authority under the provisions of the Securities Law, except for decisions of the stock exchange in disciplinary adjudication as referred to in section 47(a) of that Law, the Investments Law, the Advisory Law, section 41 of the Promotion of Competition and Reduction of Concentration Law, 5774-2013, Chapter VI-A of the Partnerships Ordinance and the Companies Law, except for a decision of the Registrar of Companies or the Registrar of Endowments relating to a public benefit company as defined in that Law, all except –
(1)a decision to which the provisions of section 64(a)(1) of the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982 apply;
(2)a petition in which the main relief sought concerns the promulgation of regulations, including the revocation of regulations, a declaration of their invalidity or an order to promulgate regulations;
(3)a decision under section 46 of the Securities Law concerning the determination of the stock exchange's articles of association or guidelines, including a decision on amendments thereto or on their revocation.
(b)The Minister of Justice may, by Order, with the consent of the President of the Supreme Court and with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, designate additional laws in respect of which a petition against a decision of an authority thereunder is an economic-administrative matter.
Economic Division in the District Courts of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Haifa§
42d.
(a)An Economic Division shall be established in the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and in the District Court of Haifa.
(b)The President of the Supreme Court, in consultation with the Presidents of the relevant District Courts, shall designate judges of a District Court who possess relevant professional knowledge and experience to the Economic Division.
(c)The term of office of a judge of the Economic Division shall be four years and may be extended for additional terms of office of four years each; however, a shorter term of office may be set in accordance with the needs of the court.
(d)The Minister of Justice, with the consent of the President of the Supreme Court, shall determine by Order the maximum number of judges in the Economic Division.
Jurisdiction of the Economic Division§
42e.
(a)An economic matter within the jurisdiction of a District Court shall be heard before the judges of the District Court that has local jurisdiction to hear it; if the economic matter is within the jurisdiction of the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa or within the jurisdiction of the District Court of Haifa, it shall be heard before the judges of the Economic Division in one of the said courts, as the case may be; however –
(1)an economic matter as referred to in section 42b(a)(1)(f) shall be heard before the judges of the Economic Division in the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa or in the District Court of Haifa, even if it is within the jurisdiction of another District Court;
(2)an economic matter that the Minister of Justice has designated under subsection (d) shall be heard in the courts as detailed below:
(a)if local jurisdiction to hear it is vested in the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the District Court of Central-Lod, the District Court of Jerusalem or the District Court of Beer Sheba – before the judges of the Economic Division in the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa;
(b)if local jurisdiction to hear it is vested in the District Court of Haifa or in the District Court of Nazareth – before the judges of the Economic Division in the District Court of Haifa.
(a1)An economic-administrative matter shall be heard before the judges of the Economic Division in the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa.
(b)The Economic Division in the District Court of Tel Aviv-Jaffa shall hear an economic-administrative matter in accordance with the Administrative Affairs Courts Law.
(c)
(1)A registrar or a judge of a District Court has jurisdiction to hear matters within the jurisdiction of a registrar under law, even if the jurisdiction to hear the claim is vested in the Economic Division under subsection (a) or (a1);
(2)an appeal against another decision of a registrar as referred to in this subsection shall be heard before a judge of the Economic Division.
(d)The Minister of Justice may, by Order, with the consent of the President of the Supreme Court and with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, designate economic matters to be heard in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a)(2).
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