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Exchanges with other Countries Israel is the first country receiving technical assistance through the SPD's Justice Without Borders. During June 1998, the SPD's Nicholas Chiarkas visited Israel. Building upon the success of this initial trip, Israel sent 10 of their senior-level public defender staff to Wisconsin during October 1999. Further exchanges are currently being developed. History of Israel's Involvement In November 1995, the Israeli Parliament passed a law establishing a nationwide public defender system to replace the old system of ad-hoc appointments by judges. The Office of the Public Defender was created as a new department in the Ministry of Justice. Shortly after the law was passed, Ken Mann, the Israeli Chief Public Defender started to research public defender programs in the United States to possibly use one as a model. Ken worked with the U.S. State Department and the American University in order to arrange for a meeting with various public defenders from the United States. Even before the meeting took place, Ken Mann's research had already led him to Wisconsin's system for providing indigent defense services. Meeting with Nick Chiarkas cemented Ken Mann's decision to use Wisconsin as a model for its own system. Israeli Participants in October 1999 visit Mr. Ezriel Becher -- Chief District Public Defender, District of Nazareth and Northern Israel (Defense attorney in private practice for 22 years until present position. Mr. Moshe Hacohen -- Chief District Public Defender, District of Jerusalem (Defense attorney, representative of the Attorney General in antitrust and instructor in clinical legal aid, for 10 years until present position. MA, American University, Washington, D.C.) Ms. Daliya Hallak -- Senior Assistant to Chief Public Defender, District of Beersheva and Southern Israel (Assistant District Attorney, District of Haifa, for 10 years until appointment in present position.) Ms. Oshera Kanzepolski -- Public Defender Attorney Ms. Zivit Leibut -- Chief Administrative Officer, Office of National Public Defender Mr. Kenneth Mann -- National Public Defender (Professor of Law, Faculty of Law Tel-Aviv University, Director of Clinical Legal Aid.) Mr. Dori Pinto -- First Assistant to National Public Defender, and Acting National Public Defender (Assistant to Chief State Prosecutor, and Assistant District Attorney, for 10 years, up until present position. Instructor in clinical legal aid.) Ms. Inbal Rubinstein -- Chief District Public Defender, District of Tel-Aviv and Central Area (Defense attorney in private practice and attorney in clinical legal aid, Faculty of Law, Tel-Aviv University, for 8 years, until present position.) Ms. Galia Slabezki -- Chief District Public Defender, Haifa District (Assistant District Attorney, District of Haifa, for 18 years until present position.) Mr. David Weiner -- Senior Assistant to National Public Defender (Assistant District Attorney, Central District, for 4 years until present position. Ph.D. Yale University, Lecturer in Law and Faculty of Law; instructor in clinical legal aid, Haifa University.) |
