The Institute of Law

Established in 1993, the Birzeit University’s Institute of Law (IoL) contributes to the modernisation of the Palestinian legal structures and building human capacities, both at the academic and practical levels. The IoL is widely recognised as a leading institution contributing to the upgrading and consolidating the Palestinian legal system.

The IoL serves as a focal centre for information, scholarly and applied research and continuing legal education. It has extensive international connections, which have greatly contributed to supporting staff members with outstanding experience in several areas, including legislative drafting, legal information technology, and continuing legal and judicial education.

Strategic Vision

To be a leading institution that produces high-quality, interdisciplinary theoretical and applied legal research, an authoritative reference of legal information technology, and a think tank for legal staff capacity building with a view to promoting human dignity and rule of law both locally and regionally.

Mission

Enhance and develop legal and judicial structures of the justice sector and society locally and regionally by doing high-quality, interdisciplinary theoretical and applied legal research, providing institutional capacity building, training human resources, improving legal awareness, upgrading legislative drafting and legal skills, and providing free access to legal and judicial information using the best state-of-the-art practice and technology.

IoL Programmes and Activities

The IoL works on the following areas:

  1.  Interdisciplinary Legal Research

The IoL has produced legal research in the following fields: law and economy, law and gender, law and society, international law, law and politics, constitutional law and human rights.

  1.  Legal Information

The IoL provides legal information through:

  • The modern and specialised Montesquieu Law Library
  • The Palestinian Legal and Judicial System (Al-Muqtafi) is the first legal databank in Palestine. It includes several databases that are readily accessible to all users: The Legislation Database hosts all the regulations enacted in Palestine since the 19th century.
  1. Teaching and Training

Since 2000, the institute has been offering the first Professional Diploma in Legal Skills. It also offered a specialized professional diploma in legislative drafting and in pparliamentary affairs. The institute has carried out many activities to improve legal awareness by organising the Birzeit Legal Encounters, conferences and workshops inside Birzeit University campus and in the institute’s office in Gaza.

 

  1. Palestine Yearbook of International Law

The IoL has so far published 19 issues of the Palestine Yearbook of International Law in English, and is preparing to publish selected issue in Arabic in the upcoming years

  1. Projects and other supporting programs

Relationship with Society

The IoL has built a distinctive working relationship with all sectors of society, including the justice sector. The Institute has launched programmes and activities to enhance legal skills, provide capacity building and improve legal awareness of the community at large. Legal education, training and sensitisation are tailored to develop legal and judicial structures of the justice sector and broader society.