Jump to content

Draft:Yigal Mersel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Mayagerman (talk) 08:54, 28 October 2025 (UTC)
Yigal Mersel
Born (1972-05-16) May 16, 1972 (age 53)
Jerusalem, Israel

Professor Yigal Mersel (born 16 May 1972) is an Israeli jurist and the Chief Executive of Yad Hanadiv – A Rothschild Foundation in Israel (since 2023). He is a retired judge of the Jerusalem District Court and serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His work at Yad Hanadiv focuses on long-term initiatives in education, environment, academic excellence, the Arab community, and early childhood.[1][2]

---

    1. Chief Executive of Yad Hanadiv

In 2023, Mersel was appointed Chief Executive of Yad Hanadiv, A Rothschild Foundation in Israel, which continues a 140-year tradition of philanthropy by the Rothschild family.[3]

As Chief Executive, he leads the Foundation’s strategy and oversees programmes in education, environment, academic excellence, the Arab community, and early childhood. He promotes cross-sector collaboration with state institutions, local authorities, and civil society organisations.[4]

He has led a comprehensive strategic review and long-term planning process for the Foundation’s activities across its main programme areas:

  • Education – advancing quality formal and informal education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Environment – improving ecosystem health and resilience in natural, agricultural, and urban areas.
  • Academic Excellence – supporting outstanding individuals in science and the arts, and increasing the impact of excellence on Israeli society.
  • Arab Community – promoting equal educational and vocational opportunities for Arab young adults.
  • Early Childhood – improving the quality of care for infants and preschoolers from lower socio-economic and high-risk backgrounds.[5]

Under his mangment, the Foundation continues to support major national projects, including the renewal of the National Library of Israel and the revitalisation of Ramat Hanadiv, combining memorial gardens, nature parks, and public education and research facilities.[6]

---

    1. Early life and education

Mersel was born in Jerusalem and grew up in the Beit HaKerem neighborhood. He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he earned his LLB and LLM degrees summa cum laude. In 2002 he completed his doctoral dissertation, The Constitutional Status of Political Parties, supervised by Professor Claude Klein.[7]

---

    1. Judicial career

After completing his studies, Mersel served as Judicial Clerk to Supreme Court President Aharon Barak and Supreme Court Registrar Alon Gillon, later becoming Barak’s Legal Adviser. He was appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court in 2004 and Magistrate Judge in 2005, combining judicial and administrative responsibilities for the Supreme Court. In 2009 he became a Judge of the Jerusalem District Court, serving until 2017 and handling administrative and civil cases as well as appellate panels.[8]

During this period, he was a member of the Judges’ Ethics Committee, founded the Research Department of the Judiciary, and headed the Centre for Judicial Training and Continuing Education. He represented Israel in the International Organization for Judicial Training (IOJT), serving as Vice President.[9]

In 2018 he was appointed Director of the Courts and Secretary of the Judicial Selection Committee, leading reforms in court management and training programmes for judges, introducing strategic planning and technological innovation, and improving public access to the judicial system.[10]

In a 2015 survey by the Israel Bar Association, Mersel ranked first among Jerusalem District Court judges and second nationwide. He was nominated in 2021 by Supreme Court President Esther Hayut for appointment to the Supreme Court. After not being selected, he announced his retirement from the judiciary in 2023 after 26 years of service, 17 of them as a judge.[11]

---

    1. Academic work

In parallel with his executive role, Mersel serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Hebrew University Faculty of Law, teaching constitutional and administrative law. He has published two books and dozens of academic articles on topics including party law, judicial ethics, procedural law, tenders, and court administration.[12]

      1. Books
  • Mersel, Yigal (2004). The Constitutional Status of Political Parties. Jerusalem: Hebrew University Press.
  • Mersel, Yigal (2006). Judicial Disqualification Law. Jerusalem: Nevo Press.
      1. Selected articles in English
  • “The Dissolution of Political Parties: The Problem of Internal Democracy,” 4 Int’l J. Const. L. 84 (2006).
  • “Judicial Review of Counter-Terrorism Measures – The Israel Model for the Role of the Judiciary During the Terror Era,” 38 N.Y.U. J. Int’l L. & Pol. 67 (2006).
  • “Hans Kelsen and Political Parties,” 39 Isr. L. Rev. 39 (2006).
  • “On Aharon Barak’s Activist Image,” 47 Tulsa L. Rev. 339 (2011).
  • “Establishing a Judiciary-Based Research Center – The Israel Experience,” 2 Judicial Education and Training 35 (2014) (with Keren Weinsall-Marqel).
  • “Revising the Limits of Judicial Expression in the Digital Age,” National Journal of Constitutional Law (2018) (with Karen Eltis).
  • “Main Measures Taken by the Israeli Judiciary in Response to COVID-19,” 8 The Court Administrator 27 (2020).
  • “Evaluation and Measurement of Courts,” in Judicial Independence: Cornerstone of Democracy (2024), 125.

---

    1. References
  1. ^ "Staff – Yad Hanadiv". Yad Hanadiv. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Judge (ret.) Professor Yigal Mersel". Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Law. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Staff – Yad Hanadiv". Yad Hanadiv Official Site. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  4. ^ "About Yad Hanadiv". Yad Hanadiv. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Yad Hanadiv Strategic Overview 2024" (PDF). Yad Hanadiv Publications. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  6. ^ "National Library of Israel – About the Project". National Library of Israel. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Faculty of Law Doctoral Dissertations – Hebrew University". Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  8. ^ "21 new district court judges chosen". The Jerusalem Post. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  9. ^ "IOJT Board Members 2016–2018". Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Administrative Courts Report 2019". Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Judicial Authority – Biography of Judge Yigal Mersel". Judicial Authority of Israel (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  12. ^ "Hebrew University Faculty of Law – Academic Staff Profile". Retrieved 28 October 2025.

---

    1. External links

References

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Yigal_Mersel&oldid=1319220437"