Life imprisonment is the most severe punishment in the Israeli legal system, apart from the death penalty, which has been imposed only in the rarest cases in the state's history.
What is life imprisonment?
Life imprisonment is the most severe punishment in the Israeli legal system, apart from the death penalty, which has been imposed only in the rarest cases in the state's history. This punishment is intended to continue until the day of the convict's death, and expresses the strongest condemnation that society can direct toward especially grave criminal acts.
Unlike in certain countries, in Israel there is no life imprisonment without the possibility of commutation or a pardon request.
Which offenses carry life imprisonment?
Murder under aggravated circumstances; harming the sovereignty of the state; causing war with the intent to assist the enemy; assisting the enemy in wartime; rebellion against the state with intent to assist the enemy; serious espionage offenses; harming the state's foreign relations; offenses under the Nazis and Their Collaborators Punishment Law.
Most offenses carrying life imprisonment are related to harm to the state and its security, alongside murder under aggravated circumstances, which is the most severe offense against the individual.
Imposition of multiple life sentences
The law allows multiple life sentences to be imposed on a defendant, usually in cases involving convictions for multiple acts of murder. The number of life sentences has a direct effect on the possibility of commutation in the future: for a single life sentence, commutation may be considered after 7 years; for two or more life sentences, commutation may be considered only after 15 years.
Commutation of a life sentence, how?
Although a life sentence is intended to continue until the end of life, the law allows its commutation through two routes:
The President of the State, by virtue of Basic Law: The President of the State, is authorized to commute life sentences. Over the years, Israel's presidents have commuted life sentences to periods of between 20 and 25 years. The President acts mainly out of considerations of mercy and clemency, and not as an appellate instance. Therefore, an application to the President requires wording that is fundamentally different from ordinary legal drafting.
The special parole board for life prisoners is authorized to recommend to the President relief, conditional release, or commutation. It may convene only after 7 years have passed (or 15 in the case of two or more life sentences), and it may recommend a commutation of no less than 30 years.
What does the parole board consider?
The anticipated risk from releasing the prisoner; the severity of the offense and its circumstances; the position of the victim's family and the risk to their safety; the prisoner's prospects for rehabilitation; the prisoner's personal circumstances; and conduct during imprisonment. The board relies on professional opinions, conduct reports from the prison, and sometimes on testimony from family members.
Legal representation in life sentence commutation proceedings
The proceedings before the special parole board and before the President of the State are complex and sensitive. They require precise preparation, presentation of rehabilitative circumstances, documentation of conduct in prison, and focused argument before authorities that operate according to considerations entirely different from those of the court. Israel Arama, a former member of the Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office, accompanies defendants and prisoners in complex criminal proceedings. Contact us for an initial consultation with no obligation.
What is life imprisonment?
Life imprisonment is the most severe punishment in the Israeli legal system, apart from the death penalty, which has been imposed only in the rarest cases in the state's history. This punishment is intended to continue until the day of the convict's death, and expresses the strongest condemnation that society can direct toward especially grave criminal acts. Unlike in certain countries, in Israel there is no life imprisonment without the possibility of commutation or a pardon request.
Which offenses carry life imprisonment?
Murder under aggravated circumstances; harming the sovereignty of the state; causing war with the intent to assist the enemy; assisting the enemy in wartime; rebellion against the state with intent to assist the enemy; serious espionage offenses; harming the state's foreign relations; offenses under the Nazis and Their Collaborators Punishment Law. Most offenses carrying life imprisonment are related to harm to the state and its security, alongside murder under aggravated circumstances, which is the most severe offense against the individual.
Commutation of a life sentence, how?
Although a life sentence is intended to continue until the end of life, the law allows its commutation through two routes: The President of the State, by virtue of Basic Law: The President of the State, is authorized to commute life sentences. Over the years, Israel's presidents have commuted life sentences to periods of between 20 and 25 years. The President acts mainly out of considerations of mercy and clemency, and not as an appellate instance. Therefore, an application to the President requires wording that is fundamentally different from ordinary legal drafting. The special parole board for life prisoners is authorized to recommend to the President relief, conditional release, or commutation. It may convene only after 7 years have passed (or 15 in the case of two or more life sentences), and it may recommend a commutation of no less than 30 years.
What does the parole board consider?
The anticipated risk from releasing the prisoner; the severity of the offense and its circumstances; the position of the victim's family and the risk to their safety; the prisoner's prospects for rehabilitation; the prisoner's personal circumstances; and conduct during imprisonment. The board relies on professional opinions, conduct reports from the prison, and sometimes on testimony from family members.
This information is for initial orientation about the service and contact process. It is not individual legal advice.
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