Disciplinary Lawyer in Israel: Defense in Disciplinary Proceedings for Civil Servants, Professionals and Security Personnel

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Disciplinary Law: Strategic Legal Defense to Protect Your Career, Reputation and Livelihood

By Adv. and Notary Emanuel Trach

Disciplinary law in Israel is a cornerstone that regulates the conduct of public employees, licensed professionals, and also soldiers and students. Its main purpose is to preserve integrity and professional ethics and to protect public trust in state institutions and regulated professions. However, when a person finds himself or herself under a disciplinary proceeding, the consequences can be devastating. Beyond fines or a reprimand, what is at stake is the career, professional advancement, livelihood and personal reputation.

The life experience and public service I have accumulated, including in the Prime Minister’s Office and in senior investigative roles, gave me a unique and comprehensive view of the internal systems of state bodies. To this is added extensive defense experience in disciplinary proceedings, which began in 2013 at a private firm specializing in the field. This allows me to provide effective and focused representation to clients facing the various disciplinary tribunals.

What is disciplinary law, and why is it so dangerous?

Disciplinary law differs fundamentally from criminal or civil law. It is subject to internal normative arrangements specific to each body. Its sanctions are aimed directly at the career and livelihood, and include dismissal, demotion, disqualification from practicing a profession, or permanent removal from public service.

The two main features that make a disciplinary proceeding especially dangerous are:

Double exposure: a criminal proceeding does not prevent a parallel disciplinary proceeding, and a person can be disciplined even if he or she was acquitted in the criminal case.
Severe and targeted sanctions: the sanctions are usually devastating to the professional fate of the person facing them.

The sectors we represent

Our office represents clients before a wide range of disciplinary tribunals, with a deep understanding of the laws, bylaws and rules of procedure specific to each sector.

1. State employees and public employees

State employees are subject to the Civil Service Disciplinary Tribunal. Representation is provided to:

Employees of government ministries and affiliated units: directors general, managers and employees of all ranks.
Employees of public bodies: subject to specific laws (such as the Israel Airports Authority, the Tax Authority and others).
Hearings before suspension or dismissal: critical representation to prevent immediate harm to terms of employment and pay.

2. Employees of local authorities and municipalities

These employees may face disciplinary proceedings for offenses such as accepting benefits, unlawfully managing funds, or inappropriate conduct. Our office accompanies the employee through every stage of the inquiry and represents him or her before the relevant committees.

3. Holders of professions regulated by law (professional ethics)

Many professions require a licence and are subject to strict rules of ethics. A breach of ethics may lead to loss of the licence, which is in effect a professional death sentence.

Lawyers: representation before the Israel Bar Association and the disciplinary tribunal.
Physicians, accountants, engineers, architects: representation before their licensing bodies and professional ethics committees.

4. Security personnel (police officers, prison officers, career military personnel, and Shin Bet / Mossad personnel)

Our office has experience in representing members of the security forces and the military, for whom the disciplinary consequences are often also linked to security clearance, firearm licensing and occupational suitability.

Police officers: representation in internal disciplinary proceedings (BIDAM) and advice in investigations by the Police Investigations Department (PID).
Soldiers and career personnel (military disciplinary law): representation of officers and NCOs in military courts or before senior judging officers.
Shin Bet, Mossad and classified security bodies: representation in disciplinary proceedings and support before these bodies on matters of security suitability and clearance.

5. Students in institutions of higher education

Representation before the disciplinary committees of academic institutions for offenses such as copying in an exam or academic fraud, which may lead to expulsion.

The State Service (Discipline) Law: a double-edged sword in the public sector

The central pillar of disciplinary law in the public sector is the State Service (Discipline) Law, 5723-1963 (the “Discipline Law”). This law, together with the Civil Service Regulations (Takshir), forms the normative framework that defines the conduct obligations of state employees and the powers of prosecution and adjudication against them.

Section 17 of the Law: the definition of a “disciplinary offense” is a wide net

The great power of disciplinary law lies in the broad definition of a “disciplinary offense”. Section 17 of the Law provides that a state employee who does any of the following commits a disciplinary offense:

An act or omission that does not befit his or her role as a state employee, or his or her status.
A breach of a law, regulation or directive relating to the civil service.
Conduct that is liable to harm public trust in the civil service.

The scope of this section allows the Civil Service Commission and the Disciplinary Tribunal to act against employees not only for serious offenses bordering on criminal law, but also for inappropriate behaviour, false reports, conflicts of interest and even public statements on social media.

The immediate danger: suspension and urgent removal (Section 48)

One of the most drastic tools available to the State is the power to suspend an employee before a verdict, intended to prevent continued harm to integrity and to the functioning of the office. Under Section 48 of the Discipline Law, the minister or the director general of the ministry has the power to suspend an employee urgently, subject to a hearing, if there is a reasonable basis to assume that the employee committed a serious and malicious breach of discipline, or a criminal offense involving moral turpitude. Our office provides close and urgent legal support in these hearings, since an immediate suspension affects the employee’s status and livelihood. As of the 2024 amendment, the maximum period of urgent suspension for employees in institutions where minors or helpless persons regularly stay (such as hospitals and residential care facilities) was extended from 30 days to 60 days.

Current picture: disciplinary law in numbers

Legal defense must be based on data. The Civil Service Commission’s report for 2024 reveals the extent of the Discipline Division’s activity, which highlights the real danger of legal proceedings:

Annual volume of handling

Inquiries and opening of cases: during 2024, 2,318 inquiries on disciplinary matters were opened, of which 815 disciplinary cases were opened against state employees.
Parallel criminal proceedings: in the same year, 831 criminal cases were opened by the police against state employees. This figure illustrates the need for defense representation that combines criminal and disciplinary knowledge.
Sex offenses and sexual harassment: in this sensitive area there was an increase of about 14.5% in the number of inquiries received by the Discipline Division (a total of 432 inquiries in 2024).

Sanctions: disqualification and loss of livelihood

Forgery of documents in a tender: a Ministry of Defense employee convicted of forging a document was sentenced to immediate dismissal, a severe reprimand, permanent disqualification from the Ministry of Defense and disqualification from the civil service for 9 months.
Assault of a helpless person: a Ministry of Health employee who worked as a nurse and was convicted of assaulting a patient was sentenced to immediate dismissal, a severe reprimand, disqualification from the Ministry of Health for 4 years, and disqualification from positions involving contact with helpless persons for 3 years.

These cases illustrate that the Disciplinary Tribunal does not hesitate to impose the most removing sanction: cutting the employee off from the public service and even disqualifying him or her from practicing a profession.

Disciplinary proceedings: the stages every client must know

Legal representation does not begin only when the charge is filed, but much earlier.

Stage 1: the investigation or preliminary inquiry

This is the most critical stage. Legal advice at this stage is intended to limit the scope of incriminating findings and to persuade the investigating body that there is no basis for proceedings.

Stage 2: the disciplinary charge (the indictment)

The lawyer’s role at this stage is a thorough examination of the evidence, writing a response to the charge, reaching a settlement, and filing preliminary motions.

Stage 3: the hearing before the disciplinary tribunal

We conduct the case with full professionalism, including cross-examination of prosecution witnesses and bringing defense witnesses and experts.

Stage 4: sentencing arguments and the sentence

In cases of conviction, the main effort is directed at reducing the severity of the sanction, in order to persuade the tribunal to avoid drastic sanctions such as dismissal or loss of a licence.

Why choose Adv. Emanuel Trach for representation in disciplinary law?

Disciplinary law requires a rare combination of criminal law experience, knowledge of labour law, and a deep understanding of the internal mechanisms of state bodies.

Proven defense experience: we bring experience in defense representation in disciplinary law since 2013, acquired, among other things, at a private firm specializing in the field.
Multi-system and security experience: my professional background as a senior investigator at the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID) and as a legal adviser in security systems (the Prime Minister’s Office) provides a significant advantage: a strategic understanding of investigation processes and of the considerations behind the decision to file a charge.
Focused experience in public law: deep familiarity with the State Service (Discipline) Law, the Civil Service Regulations and the tribunal’s case law allows us to deal with issues such as forgery of documents, conflicts of interest and urgent suspension proceedings (Section 48).
A personal and discreet approach: we understand the reputational harm involved in a disciplinary proceeding, and we provide personal and discreet support and full commitment to protecting your professional future.

Early contact is the key: if an investigation, inquiry or disciplinary proceeding has been opened against you, do not wait for the charge to be filed. Professional legal advice and representation in the early stages can decide the fate of the case and prevent the most serious harm.

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Contact details

Emanuel Trach, Attorney and Notary

Phone and WhatsApp: 055-2550011 (from abroad: +972-55-255-0011)
Office: Yigal Alon 94, Alon Towers 2, Floor 4, Tel Aviv
Email: Emanuel@Trach-law.co.il

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