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The Judges' Secret Wand | Israel today

2020-01-05T22:08:22.558Z


Sentence


One year after the Israel Diamond Database was classified as "Diamond", another one was discovered - "wand" • The database contains personal and sensitive information about judges and judges

  • Illustration by Oren Ben Hakun

Over the years, the court administration has kept a secret database called "baton," which includes personal and sensitive information on presiding judges. Until a few months ago, the database was not legally registered with the database of registrars.

The database, registered in July 2019, contains comprehensive information on the court system's personnel, and includes, at registration, between 500 and 10,000 names. The information is intended for two purposes: one, for the purpose of monitoring the court's personnel, "managing the life cycle of judges and registrars (including judicial candidates), including recruitment, sorting, hiring and retiring"; And the second "as a database that is used by the Judges and Registrars Selection Committee."

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The baton pool was later revealed to reveal the pool of "diamond" judging candidates published in "Israel Today" on December 31, 2018, and further to the activities of the Movement for Governance and Democracy on the subject. Following the unveiling of a diamond database - an Excel table that included personal and sensitive information about judging candidates - the court administration has undertaken to register the database legally. As part of a petition filed by the Movement for delays in registering delays, the Motion turned to the Privacy Protection Authority and replied that a diamond repository was registered along with a larger repository - "The Judicial Database Wand, which includes our understanding of the Diamond Database, filed on 25.07.2019" . In other words, the court administration has throughout its possession held another database that was not legally registered, hiding its existence from the public.

As a result, the Movement for Governments turned to the courts for more information about the baton, and its details are revealed here. While a diamond repository included only information pertaining to judging candidates, their grades in the judging course and the opinion of the Sub-Committee of Judges - a wand repository is more complete and comprehensive, and includes information on all judges serving in the system, and concerns other areas.

Who is watching the database?

According to the registration documents, the database includes "information on the candidate's criminal record" obtained by the Israel Police; "Information on the applicant's financial obligations" obtained from the Tax Authority; "Information on the candidate, including qualifications, abilities and information on his / her suitability for the position requirements" obtained from recommendations specified by the candidate "; Information on "recommendations, convictions, or open cases in the Bar" obtained from the Bar; Information on "reservations about the candidate" received from "public - citizens"; Information on "justified complaints" obtained from the Ombudsman for Judges; Information on "recommendations to the Commission" from the Department of Justice; And "Recommendations for the Commission" from the Attorney General.

The information is transmitted to several bodies concerned with the appointment and regular functioning of the judges: to a selection committee that receives "only the relevant information"; To "court-appointed internal agents" who use it "for judicial selection process"; The Judiciary Training and Training Center of the Courts "for examining a match for a judge's position"; The Ombudsman for Judges is transmitted "Equity statements and relevant information on demand"; And the Director of Retirement at the Ministry of Finance transmits "digital material that includes retirement documents". According to the Privacy Act, a database must be registered with the Database Registrar, the Supervisor of Database Management, the security and the privacy of those registered therein. The law also requires the holder of the database to allow registrants there to browse the information about them.

For about a year and a half until its unveiling in December 2018 of "Israel Today," the court administration denied the existence of a diamond reservoir. After the exposure, it was alleged that it was not required to register, and that the court administration "is conducting a discussion" on the matter with the Privacy Protection Authority. In January 2019, the Movement for Governance and Democracy petitioned the Jerusalem District Court, and in March 2019, the court administration announced its intention to register it. Only after further correspondence has the database been registered as part of the Wand Database uncovered here.

Judah Amrani

"We were amazed to find that the court administration held another sensitive database," the Movement for Governance and Democracy says. Director General of the Movement, Yehuda Amrani, said that "the conduct of the judicial system over the years has been very disturbing." The legal counsel for the Movement for Legal Affairs, Adv. Simcha Rutman, adds that even after registering the database, Sensitive and confidential information that has been kept in the system for years. This would jeopardize the independence of the judges. This is beyond the infringement of the right of applicants for judgment, who cannot refer to existing information about them in the database. "

Judiciary response

Judiciary spokeswoman responded: "The issue was discussed with the competent bodies. Once a final position on the matter was formulated, an application was made to register the database in the database of databases."

When asked what procedures allow applicants to look at the repository material, they replied that "an arrangement is currently being developed on the issue of reference. It is expected to come to the approval of the selection committee." When asked why opinions and information relating to the appointment are maintained over time, they replied that "the materials are stored according to the system's needs and in accordance with the instructions".

Source: israelhayom

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