The Child and Law Center (Legal Department)

The Child and Law Center (the Legal Department) is the legal branch of the National Council for the Child.

The Child and Law Center engages in all topics related to the legal and judiciary aspects of the lives of children in Israel. The NCC is the leading organization for all matters related to policy change and the promotion of legislative procedures, initiation of activities for the implementation and enforcement of the law, writing of position papers, publications and legal research, and initiating campaigns for the wider public and professionals regarding the safeguarding of children’s welfare, well-being and rights. Additionally, the Child and Law Center operates the NCC’s unique project of the Child Victims Assistance Center for child victims of sexual and violent crime. This includes providing child victims and their families with information, support, and consultation, and assisting in the communication between the child and his or her family and law enforcement authorities, the State attorney’s office, and the various professionals handling the case.

The Child and Law Center employs lawyers with expertise in legal areas relating to children and youth. In the framework of our work, the Child and Law Center assists in specific cases regarding the lives of children and youth in Israel. In addition, throughout our legal action and field work, we identify and clarify issues and challenges that require attention and act for the promotion of legislation and policies for the benefit of children.

Our Activities

The Child and Law Center is a leading body in all matters related to the promotion of legislative procedures. For over three decades, the Center’s staff has initiated, designed, and promoted nearly 100 bills and law amendments in various fields relating to children’s rights and wellbeing in Israel. As part of this work, the Child and Law Center cooperates with Members of the Knesset from all political sectors in Israel to promote legislation and policy design for the benefit of children and youth and assists in the legislative procedure from beginning to end.

For more information regarding the legislative activities of the Child and Law Center, click the legislation chart, which includes chosen examples from dozens of laws and amendments in the promotion of which National Council for the Child was involved.

Consultation and Legal Assistance to Children and Youth

The Child and Law Center has initiated and been involved in legal procedures in various Israeli courts, including the High Court of Justice.

The NCC has joined a variety of processes of significant importance for children as an amicus curiae, a “friend of the court” (a legal institution through which public entities that are familiar with the litigated subject may join the procedure and voice their professional stand in court, even if they are not a direct party of the specific procedure).

For selected case-law in which the NCC took part, please click this link.

The Child and Law Center is responsible for the writing and publication of articles, reports and legal research on subjects that concern children and youth in Israel.

In this framework, the Child and Law Center cooperates with government offices, institutional entities, civil society organizations, and research and academic bodies and is regularly called upon to write and publish various position papers and research.

The various publications of the NCC are available here.

In addition, the Child and Law Center periodically publishes the legislation collection: “The Law and the Child”, which compiles most of the laws and legal amendments related to children and youth in Israel.

For inquiries regarding possible cooperation and invitation to conduct research or write legal reports on various subjects, as well as to purchase the legislation collection ‘The Law and the Child’, please contact us.