Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty (1992)

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BASIC LAW: HUMAN DIGNITY AND LIBERTY*

Purpose.

1. The purpose of this Basic Law is to protect human dignity and liberty, in order to establish in a Basic Law the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

Preservation
of life, body
and dignity.

2. There shall be no violation of the life, body or dignity of any person as such.

Protection
of property.

3. There shall be no violation of the property of a person.

Protection
of life, body
and dignity.

4. All persons are entitled to protection of their life, body and dignity.

Personal
liberty.

5. There shall be no deprivation or restriction of the liberty of a person by imprisonment, arrest, extradition or otherwise.

Leaving and
entering Israel.

(a) All persons are free to leave Israel.
(b) Every Israel national has the right of entry into Israel from abroad.

Privacy.

(a) All persons have the right to privacy and to intimacy.
(b) There shall be no entry into the private premises of a person who has not consented thereto.
(c) No search shall be conducted on the private premises of a person, nor in the body or personal effects.
(d) There shall be no violation of the confidentiality of conversation, or of the writings or records of a person.

Violation of
rights.

8. There shall be no violation of rights under this Basic Law except by a law befitting the values of the State of Israel, enacted for a proper purpose, and to an extent no greater than is required.

Reservation re-
garding security
forces.

9. There shall be no restriction of rights under this Basic Law held by persons serving in the Israel Defence Forces, the Israel Police, the Prisons Service and other security organizations of the State, nor shall such rights be subject to conditions, except by virtue of a law, or by regulation enacted by virtue of a law, and to an extent no greater than is required by the nature and character of the service.

Validity of
laws.

10. This Basic Law shall not affect the validity of any law (din) in force prior to the commencement of the Basic Law.

Application.

11. All governmental authorities are bound to respect the rights under this Basic Law.

Stability.

12. This Basic Law cannot be varied, suspended or made subject to conditions by emergency regulations; notwithstanding, when a state of emergency exists, by virtue of a declaration under section 9 of the Law and Administration Ordinance, 5708-1948, emergency regulations may be enacted by virtue of said section to deny or restrict rights under this Basic Law, provided the denial or restriction shall be for a proper purpose and for a period and extent no greater than is required.

YITZCHAK SHAMIR Prime Minister	DOV SHILANSKY Speaker of the Knesset
CHAIM HERZOG President of the State

* Passed by the Knesset on the 12th Adar Bet, 5752 (17th March, 1992) and published in Sefer Ha-Chukkim No. 1391 of the 20th Adar Bet, 5752 (25th March, 1992); the Bill and an Explanatory Note were published in Hatza'ot Chok, No. 2086 of 5752, p. 60.

SOURCE: "The Israeli Government's Official Website", published by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel (copyrighted 1998). URL: http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/home.asp Goto "Map". Press "Basic Laws" link in the middle of the graphic image of the website map, and then press link to "Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom".