Knesset Gives Final Approval to Separate Police-Investigations Unit From State Prosecution

The Knesset plenary gave final approval overnight (Thursday) to the law removing the Police Internal Investigations Department from the State Attorney’s Office and turning it into an independent, separate unit within the Justice Ministry.

The law, introduced by MK Moshe Saada and advanced through the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chaired by MK Simcha Rothman, received the backing of Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin. With the legislative process now complete, the department will no longer operate within the State Attorney’s Office and will instead become a fully independent unit inside the Justice Ministry.

In a joint statement issued by Levin, Rothman, and Saada, they said the law “is a central part of the judicial reform” and brings about a major structural change in how the Police Internal Investigations Department operates.

According to the bill’s sponsors, the move is intended to address “inherent conflicts of interest” that existed for years under the current structure. The statement said the law “puts an end to years of inherent conflicts of interest” by separating the department from the prosecution and establishing it as an independent body.

It was also noted that the law’s final wording anchors the recommendations of the professional committee Levin established shortly after the government was formed in order to examine the department’s work. According to the statement, those recommendations were formulated following findings that appeared in the State Comptroller’s report on the issue.

Under the approved law, the department will now operate “as a fully independent unit within the Justice Ministry, without dependence on the prosecution.” The sponsors of the move argue that this change will ensure that the investigations it conducts are carried out in a “neutral, transparent, and professional” way.

The joint statement stressed that this is about more than an organizational restructuring. According to Levin, Rothman, and Saada, “This is an important part of the judicial reform, which restores the separation of powers and strengthens democracy.”