Criminal and Police Records in Israel: Differences and Available Procedures

Short answer: First identify which record exists

Criminal record and police record are not the same. Criminal record is related, among other things, to convictions and judicial decisions that are enumerated in the Criminal Information Law and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Law. Police record may include information about pending cases and closed cases. Therefore a general request to "eras all" may be sent to the wrong party or based on an improper course.

The first stage is the realization of the right to review the information about the person himself, in the way prescribed by law and the procedures of the Israel Police. Only after knowing what is registered, what is his origin and date can the options be examined: the passage of periods under the law, an application to cancel a closed case police record, a request to change a ground for closure or a request for clemency for shortening periods applicable to a judicial outcome.

• Criminal record: information on judicial results that are listed in the law.
• Police record: may include open and closed cases.
• Changing a ground for closing the case is not the same as cancelling a record.
• Pardon is not an appeal and is not an automatic route.

Criminal Information and Rehabilitation of Offenders Law

The law that came into force in 2022 replaced the old arrangement and regulates the management, delivery, period of limitations and deletion and use of the information. The National Legislative Database also presents late revisions, so old tables found on a private site should not be relied upon. Period calculation is affected by the type of result, the punishment, the age of the person and other records.

Even after the limitation period or deletion, this does not mean that the information is deleted from any system in the everyday sense. The term means reducing the delivery of the information in accordance with the arrangements in law and the identity of the requesting body. Therefore, an important precise formulation: sometimes the practical purpose is to reduce exposure to a particular body, and sometimes to handle a police record of a closed case.

How to review the information on record

The Israel Police publishes a procedure governing a person's right to review criminal information held about them. The review takes place through the prescribed process, with identity verification and privacy safeguards. Its purpose is to let a person understand what information is held and check whether it is accurate. Be cautious of services that promise a “certificate of good conduct” or unnecessarily request a complete copy of sensitive information.

During the review, it is worth registering separately each detail: case number, the body that handled it, date, status, ground for closing the case if it is a closed case and judicial result if a procedure is conducted. Do not rely on memory of an old event. This distinction allows to map which authorized party to handle each component and which documents will be required.

Cancelling the police record of a closed investigation

The Israel Police allows a reasoned request to cancel closed records, in accordance with the law, regulations and procedure. The request is examined by standards including the time elapsed, the age of the person, his circumstances, the nature of the suspicion, the severity and the existence of additional information. It is not enough to state that the record is in the way of a general statement that the record is interfering; a factual picture and supporting documents must be presented.

The route is not intended to attack a judicial conviction and does not replace a request for a change in the ground for closure. Neither does compliance with threshold conditions guarantee acceptance, because discretion is exercised. Police procedures may change, so the current form, address and requirements should be reviewed at the time of submission.

Change of ground for closing the case versus cancellation of a police record

When a case is closed, the ground for closure may affect the manner of record and its significance. A suspect may contact the body that closed the case with a request to change the cause, and in appropriate situations the appeal may be made to reject the request. This is a procedure that focuses on deciding why the case is closed and the investigation file, not just in the passage of time or in personal circumstances.

In contrast, a request to cancel a police record focuses on the remaining record and the standard standards for canceling it. Sometimes it is possible to first examine the investigation file and the grounds for closure, and sometimes the relevant route is the cancellation of the record. Two conflicting requests may not be submitted without understanding the relationship between them.

Pardon applications and shortening statutory periods

The President of the State is authorized, in appropriate cases, to exercise the power of pardon. The Pardon Department Service makes it clear that this is an authority of grace and mercy intended for unique circumstances, rather than in a further appeal court. A request can also deal with shortening of statute of limitations or erasures applicable to a criminal record.

A serious request includes the judicial decision, details of the punishment, description of circumstances, rehabilitation procedures and supporting documents. The president must not be guaranteed to accede to the request and no pardons may be presented as a technical procedure. In closed police cases the authority to revoke the record is that of the Israel Police, and not that of the President of the State.

Documents and preparing the application

It is desirable to build an orderly case: the outcome of the review, the closing notice, judicial decisions, approvals for termination of punishment, documents for work and studies, recommendations and concrete explanation for the need for a request. The documents should be genuine, current and relevant. No further records should be hidden, because the deciding factor examines the overall picture.

The reasoning should distinguish between past responsibility and present circumstances. A rehabilitation description is not a slogan; it can include occupational stability, studies, treatment, volunteering or the absence of further entanglements, as the case may be. A copied version should not be used that is not suitable for details, and excess personal information that is not needed for the examination should not be attached.

Beware of old information and promises of deletion

The Criminal Information and Rehabilitation of Offenders Law has also been amended in recent years. Tables that refer to the old Criminal Register Law or present one period per situation may be misleading. Before writing or submitting, the text of the law must be checked in the National Legislation Database and the current police procedure. This article does not present a uniform numerical period because the calculation depends on the details.

No one can guarantee complete deletion in advance. It is possible to identify the relevant procedure, prepare an application and present supporting grounds, but the decision rests with the competent authority. If an unauthorised body asks a person to disclose criminal information, a separate question may arise about the legality of the request and the use of that information.

Proper reading of the information before selecting a route

The phrase "criminal record" is used in everyday language to describe different situations, but the choice of route depends on the exact type of information. Conviction and judgment, pending case, case closed and police record are not alternative terms. Before drafting a request, one should obtain information on a channel that allows the law, identify the case numbers and status, and check for an error in identification or update that has not yet been received.

After identification, the purpose of the application is examined. The need for a professional license, tender, immigration procedure or work with a public body may trigger different delivery rules. The very fact that a person requesting a "certificate of good conduct" does not prove that he is qualified to receive all the information. The Criminal Information Law prescribes delivery and use arrangements, and therefore it is incorrect to provide a personal printout to a private party without checking his authority and the purpose of the request.

When it comes to a conviction, calculating periods is not done by a single date in all situations. Among other things, the punishment, the age of the person, additional records, and the passage of the law are examined. Therefore, an Internet calculator or answer given to another person is not a substitute for reading the data. If a pardon request is considered, an infrastructure is attached that explains a change in circumstances and rehabilitation; the very passing of time is an important given, but not an exclusive argument.

When it comes to a closed case, a request to change the ground for closure must be distinguished from a request to cancel a police record. The first examines the basis of the closure decision and the material; the second relates to the very fact that the record is left within the framework of the applicable rules. Sometimes there is a practical connection between the tracks, but the same paragraph should not be submitted to both bodies and the same examination should be expected.

At the end of the test, a list of documents is prepared: legally provided information, decisions, judgments, termination certificates, employment or school documents, and relevant rehabilitation documentation. The Authority is not expected to be flooded with documents that are not explained. Each document should be connected to a particular claim, and the request should present accurate facts without concealing further record and without ensuring that a positive decision is made.

It is also worth documenting what has already been done: Who has been contacted, at what time, what has been attached and what has been received in response. Repeated requests on different routes can produce confusion if they are not coordinated. If it turns out that a judgment or a termination certificate is missing, it is obtained from the authorized body and does not recover its contents from memory. After submission, an identical copy and a receipt are kept, and a request for completion is followed. A negative decision is not immediately answered in an emotional letter; the reasons are read, and the reason is determined.

It is important to separate the right to review the information from its delivery to another. The printout or information that the person has seen is intended to enable him to understand his condition, and not necessarily serve as a "confirmation" for a private body. When a requirement is made in the framework of work or licensing, one is asked to know under which legal provision it is delivered and in what extent. This examination protects privacy and prevents unnecessary action that does not change the record itself. If the demand is sent in writing, it is kept so that the advice will be addressed to the exact wording and identity of the requesting body.