Private Investigators and Security Services Law, 5732-1972

In this Law –

"private investigator" means a person who engages in obtaining information about another person or in collecting such information, for the purposes of others and by way of service to all, and not for the purposes of scientific research, public opinion surveys or public publication, or for the purpose of providing information to a credit information bureau pursuant to the Credit Data Law, 5776-2016;

"security services" means services for the protection of a person's security or of property, including services for the installation and maintenance of alarm systems and other security installations.

No person shall engage as a private investigator unless he holds a licence to do so from the Committee and operates from an office designated for private investigations.

A private investigator shall act towards his client with trust, and the law governing the relationship between them shall be as the law governing the relationship between an agent and his principal.

A private investigator shall, upon the demand of the Attorney General or of a person authorised by him, furnish any information required for the implementation of this Law or of the Regulations made thereunder, or for supervising the methods and means which the investigator is accustomed to use in obtaining and collecting information.

No person shall maintain a private investigation office unless he holds a licence to do so from the Committee.

No licence shall be granted to a person to maintain a private investigation office unless the following conditions are fulfilled in respect of him:

The holder of a private investigation office shall not employ a person in investigation unless that person is a licensed private investigator; however, he may employ a trainee in investigation even if the trainee is not a licensed private investigator, provided that the trainee acts under the direct supervision and guidance of the office manager.

The holder of a private investigation office shall take reasonable measures to ensure the proper conduct of persons employed in the office.

Where a corporation of private investigators has committed an act which, had it been committed by a private investigator, would be regarded as a disciplinary offence, every member thereof shall be regarded as having committed that disciplinary offence unless that member proves one of the following:

The existence of the corporation shall not derogate from the disciplinary liability of its members.

Subject to the provisions of section 13 of the Civil Wrongs Ordinance [New Version], a corporation of private investigators shall be regarded as vicariously liable in torts for any act or omission in a matter in which its members acted as private investigators.

A person or institution maintaining security services at an office or enterprise shall not undertake, directly or indirectly, to conduct a private investigation relating to that office or enterprise, and shall not use, for the purpose of any investigation whatsoever, documents found in that office or enterprise.

The Attorney General may appoint an examiner to examine a matter relating to the conduct of a private investigator; such an examiner shall have the powers of a police officer of the rank of inspector referred to in section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Testimony), and testimony given before him shall have the same effect as testimony given pursuant to that Ordinance.

A complaint against a private investigator shall be filed with the disciplinary committee on behalf of the Attorney General or on behalf of the Committee, whether on their own initiative or upon a complaint by another person; a complainant may appoint a person — generally or in respect of a specific matter — to represent him and to plead on his behalf before the disciplinary committee.

Where a complaint has been filed with a disciplinary committee against a private investigator, the committee may, if it considers that the gravity of the matter and the public interest so require, suspend his licence until the conclusion of the proceedings. If the proceedings have not concluded within three months from the date of the suspension of the licence, the suspension shall lapse, unless the District Court has extended it.

The validity of a licence under this Law is one year and it shall be renewed annually upon payment of the annual fee, unless the Committee finds that the applicant no longer fulfils one of the conditions for obtaining the licence.

A person who contravenes the provisions of sections 3, 7, 9, 11, 13(a), 18, 19(b) or 20 is liable to imprisonment of one year or a fine of ten thousand pounds.

A person who on the 14th of Tevet 5732 (1 January 1972) was engaged as a private investigator or operated a private investigations bureau, and on the date of publication of this Law in Reshumot (Official Gazette) was still so engaged — the conditions referred to in sections 4(a)(2) or 10(2), as the case may be, shall not apply to his application for a licence, and the Committee may waive in his regard the conditions referred to in sections 4(a)(3) to (5) and 10(3).

The Minister of Justice is responsible for the implementation of this Law and may make Regulations for its implementation, including with respect to —

This Law shall come into force on the 20th of Tammuz 5732 (2 July 1972).