The project advocates for a transparent and equal jurisdiction in Israel`s Ecclesiastical courts. Israel has 14 independent and separate legal systems covering Family Law administered by religious courts, including 10 separate legal systems for 10 Christian denominations. As opposed to the Sharia, Druze and Rabbinical courts, which are supervised by the Ministry of Justice, Ecclesiastical courts have full "autonomy". Procedures at these courts, hearings, codes and verdicts are not published, and judges are appointed by the churches alone. Due to the gender-biased traditions of the courts, women are the primary victims of lack of access to justice, accountability and rule of law.
The project involves the following current activities:
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Research: The Legal Department collects information about location, contact information, opening hours, procedures and the Codes of the Ecclesiastical courts from judges and lawyers, women who are or were litigants of the courts, and available material.
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Public information: The Legal Department prepares the publication of the collected information in the form of a booklet and on Kayan`s website.
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Networking: The project is implemented in cooperation with the Women`s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) in Ramallah. The Ecclesiastical courts in East Jerusalem have authority over both Israel and the OPT, and are the only courts that have authority over Christian women in the West Bank.