State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel (2012-2019)
Joseph Chaim Shapira (born in 1945) was the State Comptroller and Ombudsman of the State of Israel from 2012 to 2019. Prior to his appointment, he served as a judge in Jerusalem District Court and fulfilled several roles in the military justice system and the Israel Bar Association.
Family Background
Joseph Chaim Shapira was born in Jerusalem on July 5th, 1945.
Education & Military Service
Shapira studied in the Air Force Technical School in the electronics track. In 1971, he completed his Law Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and became a certified lawyer. In 2000 he completed an M.A in Criminology at Leicester University in England. He completed his certification studies in Information Technology Law at Bar-Ilan University and took a mediation course at Ono Academic College.
Shapira served as radar technician in the Air Force and fulfilled judgement roles as a reservist in military courts - a prosecutor at the Military Court in Judea and Samaria area (1978-1985), a judge at the Military Court of Appeal in Judea and Samaria (1985-1989, 2007-2012), the president of the Military Court in Judea and Samaria (1989-1990) and a military judge at the General Staff Court (2003-2007).
State Comptroller Shapira at the inauguration ceremony of the building of the Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman in Jerusalem in 2015. Photo: Mark Neiman, Government Press Office
Professional Background
Shapira started his career at Arad & Rubin Law Firm (1972-1974), worked as an independent, associate attorney at Chaman Shelach Law Firm (1974-1976) and at Kramer, Shapira & Schneider Law Firm (1976-2003). He served as a member of the Israel Police's Disciplinary Court and fulfilled several roles at the Bar Association. He served as the chair of the Disciplinary Court and the District Committee of the Association in the Jerusalem District (1995-1999), the deputy chair of the National Disciplinary Court (2000-2003) and a member of the National Council. In 1997, he served as a member of the Strasberg - Cohen Committee that studied the status of registrars in Israeli courts.
In 2001-2003, he served as the public representative at the Antitrust Tribunal near the Jerusalem District Court and in 2003 he was appointed as judge in Jerusalem District Court. On July 4th, 2012, Joseph Shapira started his seven-year term as the 8th State Comptroller and Ombudsman.
Additional Roles
In addition to his legal work, Shapira has been involved in many public activities throughout the years. He served as a guest lecturer at the Technion and taught at the Academic College of Law and at the Hebrew University; he wrote the book "Jerusalem 1948" and published articles on medicine, law and economy; he was the chair of the editorial staff at "HaLishka" the journal of the Jerusalem Bar Association and served as the chair of the Public Council of the Theatre Company Jerusalem and "Notzar" Theatre.
