The Knesset approved the first reading of a bill that would separate the Justice Ministry's Police Investigation Department from the State Prosecutor's Office, moving it to an independent department within the ministry, a shared statement from Justice Minister Yariv Levin and committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman confirmed on Monday evening.
Rothman, who chairs the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, noted that this was done "due to the understanding that the inherent conflict of interest in prosecutorial bodies that also control PID must be addressed in a comprehensive and professional manner."
"Only an independent PID will be able to protect the police from irrelevant pressures and investigate offenses that require criminal treatment without fear or bias," Rothman commented.
Under the bill, the head of PID would be selected by a professional committee, with qualifications similar to a Supreme Court justice, in addition to expertise in the criminal field.
Further, PID would gain full financial and administrative independence.
Additionally, the department would be authorized to investigate civilian volunteers in the Civilian Guard for offenses committed during their duties, as well as criminal offenses with sentences of less than one year of imprisonment committed by police officers.
The bill also seeks to establish a new position, filled by a retired judge, to resolve professional disputes between PID and other investigative and prosecutorial bodies.
Additionally, PID would be granted a new, unique authority to file indictments in any offenses it investigated.
Levin, approximately two years ago, appointed a professional committee headed by Justice Ministry Director-General Itamar Donenfeld to begin investigating the PID's work.
"The current situation where PID is subordinate to the State Prosecution while simultaneously being tasked with investigating police officers, is inherently flawed and creates an inherent conflict of interest," Levin argued.
"This law corrects this distortion and ensures that PID will be fully independent, conduct real investigations, and promote substantive equality before the law," he added.