Departures of note

Edna Arbel was an Israeli lawyer who served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Israel from 2004 to 2014. Born in Jerusalem in 1944, she pursued a distinguished legal career, beginning in the prosecution service where she became head of the Central District Prosecution. She later served as State Attorney from 1996 to 2004, during which time she oversaw significant growth in the prosecution staff and participated in international legal discussions concerning the International Criminal Court. Arbel was instrumental in drafting ethical guidelines for prosecutors and contributed to inquiries regarding national events such as the Sabra and Shatila massacre and the Bus 300 affair. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 by then Chief Justice Aharon Barak, Justice Arbel authored key rulings, including a landmark 2013 decision that struck down an amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law for disproportionately infringing on the right to liberty. She retired in 2014 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age. Arbel also taught criminal law and criminology at academic institutions. She passed away on July 1, 2026, at the age of 82.