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How to read legal citations in Israel

Israel's law mixes English-style common law with civil-law codes and some religious law. A Supreme Court judgment is cited by its file number and the official report, Piskei Din (P.D.), by volume, part and page.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Style guide: Israeli court practice (Piskei Din and Sefer HaChukim). Israel has no single mandatory style guide. Supreme Court cases are cited by their file number and the volume and page in the court's official reports, Piskei Din. Statutes are cited to the official statute book.

Real citations, decoded

Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.

A High Court of Justice case Case

,

  1. Court and procedure HCJ
    High Court of Justice (Bagatz): the Supreme Court sitting as a first-instance court to review the actions of public authorities.
  2. File number 98/69
    The file number and the last two digits of the year: file 98 of 1969.
  3. Case name Bergman v Minister of Finance
    The parties.
  4. Official report 23(1) PD 693
    Volume 23, part 1, page 693 of Piskei Din, the Supreme Court's official reports.

This case was the first in which the court struck down a Knesset law, because it did not meet a special majority requirement.

Full citation: HCJ 98/69 Bergman v Minister of Finance, 23(1) PD 693

A Supreme Court civil appeal Case

,

  1. Court and procedure CA
    Civil Appeal.
  2. File number 6821/93
    File 6821 of 1993.
  3. Case name United Mizrahi Bank v Migdal Cooperative Village
    The parties.
  4. Official report 49(4) PD 221
    Volume 49, part 4, page 221 of Piskei Din.

This 1995 judgment is known as the 'constitutional revolution': it held that Basic Laws are superior to ordinary laws.

Full citation: CA 6821/93 United Mizrahi Bank v Migdal Cooperative Village, 49(4) PD 221

A Basic Law Constitution

, ,

  1. Title Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty
    Israel has no single constitution. Its Basic Laws are passed one at a time, and the Supreme Court treats them as constitutional.
  2. Hebrew and Gregorian year 5752-1992
    Israeli statutes carry the Hebrew year first and the Gregorian year after. 5752 is the Hebrew year that corresponds to 1992.
  3. Statute Book SH 1391 p 150
    Sefer HaChukim (the Book of Laws): issue 1391, page 150.
Full citation: Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, 5752-1992, SH 1391 p 150

Things to remember

  • Common case-type abbreviations: HCJ (High Court of Justice), CA (civil appeal), CrimA (criminal appeal), FH (further hearing), LCA (leave to appeal).
  • Israeli courts also cite some English and Ottoman law, so you may meet references such as 'Mejelle' for the old Ottoman civil code.
  • English translations of Supreme Court judgments are published on the court's website. The Hebrew original is the authority.

Where to find the text, free

To understand how courts and law fit together in Israel, read the Israel profile in the Legal Families Atlas.

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.