The Harry and Michael Sacher Institute for Legislative Research and Comparative Law was established in 1959. Its broad range of activities ever since has been supported by a generous donation from the Sacher Family. The Institute serves as a prominent research arm of the Faculty of Law, as well as a publishing house (the leading in Israel) for legal academic publications.
In its first years, the Institute assisted the Israeli Ministry of Justice and other official agencies in the preparation of legislative materials and by writing commentaries on proposed bills. Today the Institute engages with (and supports) legal research in a variety of fields, through the following means:
Books: The Institute has published hundreds of books and monographs, written mainly in Hebrew, by leading Israeli scholars in all areas of law. We continue to publish books on an ongoing basis, based on a peer-review process that ensures the highest academic level.
Conferences: The Institute organizes international and national conferences, in Israel and abroad, in cooperation with local and foreign research centers, and occasionally sponsors conferences organized by members of the Faculty.
Research Support: The Institute grants each year a post-doctoral fellowships that allows a junior researcher to develop his/her research under the auspices of the Institute, while engaging with Faculty members and becoming integrated in the rich academic activity of the Faculty. In addition, the Institute provides funding for research studies performed by Faculty members.
Journals: Three academic journals are published under the auspices of the Institute: “Misphatim”, the main publication of the Faculty, edited by its students; “Hukim”, a journal focusing on legislative proposals and commentaries; and “Israel Criminology”, the journal of the Israeli Association of Criminology.