Training Offered on Palestinian Legal and Judicial System Database (AL-MUQTAFI)

The Birzeit University Institute of Law (IoL) recently launched a series of training sessions designed to introduce and promote access to the database, the Palestinian Legal and Judicial System (AL-MUQTAFI). On April 8, 2013, and in cooperation with the Faculty of Law at Al Quds University of Abu Dis, the IoL provided training to law students on how to access and use AL-MUQTAFI and relevant databases.
This is the fifth training activity that the IoL has conducted to date. Earlier, the IoL held similar training sessions at An Najah National University, Hebron University, Palestine Ahliya University, and Arab American University.
AL-MUQTAFI is particularly important for the legal community, including law students at Palestinian universities. It effectively facilitates access to legal information, positively impacting on law students’ capacity and enhancing their legal studies, research, and graduation seminars.
After introducing the historical development of the website, IoL legal researcher Sama Saqf al-Heit explained legal services provided by AL-MUQTAFI. It houses regulations passed by the political authorities that have successively ruled over Palestine, from the Ottoman State to the Palestinian Authority. AL-MUQTAFI includes judgments entered since 1994 by Palestinian high courts, including the Court of Appeals, Court of Cessation, and High Court of Justice. It also includes rulings of Palestinian high family courts (Family Court of Appeals and High Family Court).
Once registered, users can access all databases on AL-MUQTAFI free of charge. Additionally, the presentation addressed the AL-MUQTAFI Legislative Database, describing relevant research tools and advantages. The database provides full texts of pieces of legislation, scanned (PDF) copies of each regulation, relations that link a regulation to pertinent legislation documents, consolidated texts, and referential information. Featuring similar research tools and advantages, the Court Judgment Database on AL-MUQTAFI provides PDF copies and full texts of court rulings, legal principles derived from these rulings, and informed comments introduced by relevant experts and academics.
AL-MUQTAFI databases can be accessed at: http://muqtafi.birzeit.edu.
The IoL will continue to organize training sessions targeting law students at Palestinian universities as well as legal staff at civil society organizations.