Joseph Chaim Shapira was born in Jerusalem in 1945. He completed his high school studies in the Air Force’s Technical School in the electronics track and during his military service served as a radar technician in the air force. In 1971 he finished his law studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and passed the Bar. In 2000 he completed a Master’s degree in criminology at the University of Leicester in England. In addition, he completed a certificate course in computer law at Bar-Ilan University and a course in mediation at the Ono Academic College. Between the years 1972-1974 he worked as a lawyer in the law offices of Ard and Reuven in Jerusalem; between 1974 and 1976 he was a partner in the law firm of Haman Shelach in Jerusalem; between 1976 and 2003 he was a partner in the law office of Kremer, Shapira and Schneider in Jerusalem. During the years 1978-1985 he served, in the reserves, as a military prosecutor in the military court in the Judea and Samaria district.
Judicial Positions
1985 – 1989 He served, in the reserves, as a judge in the military court of appeals in the Judea and Samaria district.
1989 – 1990 He served as the president of the military court in the Judea and Samaria district, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.
1995 – 2003 He was a member of the disciplinary court of the Israel police.
1995 – 1999 He served as the Chair of the disciplinary court of the Israel Bar Association Jerusalem branch.
2000 – 2003 He served as the vice chairman of the national disciplinary court of the Israel Bar Association.
2001 – 2003 He was the public representative of the antitrust court of the Jerusalem District Court.
2003 – 2012 He served as a judge in the Jerusalem District Court.
2003 – 2007 He served, in the reserves, as a judge in the General Staff Court.
2007 – 2012 He served, in the reserves, as a judge in the Military Appeals Court in the Judea and Samaria district, holding the rank of colonel.
Additional Public Activities
During the years 1995-1999 he was the Chair of the regional committee of the Israel Bar Association Jerusalem district and a member of the national council of the Israel Bar Association in Israel.
In 1997 he was a member of the Strasberg-Cohen Commission investigating the status of registrars in Israel.
During the years 1998-2003 he served as the head of the public council of the Jerusalem Theater Group.
During the years 2001-2003 he was Chair of the fringe theater, Notzer, in Tel Aviv.
Teaching Positions
During the years 1994-1996 he was a guest lecturer on the subject of property law, contracts and arbitration in the external studies branch of the Technion in Jerusalem.
During the years 2009-2012 he taught the subject of medical negligence as an adjunct lecturer, first at the Sha’arey Mishpat College and then at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Literary and press activities
In 1981 his book, Jerusalem 1948, was published by the Ministry of Defense.
During the years 1995-1999 he was the head of the editorial board of HaLishka, the journal of the Israel Bar Association Jerusalem district.
During the years 2005-2012 he lectured on different subjects in the framework of the Institute for Continuing Education of Judges and the Institute for Continuing Education of the Israel Bar Association.
During the years 2006-2012 he was a member of the editorial board of the journal Refuah veMishpat.
During the years 2007-2008 he published papers on the subject of medicine and law and economics.
During the years 2011-2012 he was a member of the editorial board of the journal Mishpat Refu’I ve’biyo-etika of Ono Academic College.
On May 14th, 2012, the Knesset elected Joseph Chaim Shapira State Comptroller and Ombudsman and he served in this position from July 4th, 2012 to July 3rd, 2019.