- Homicide in Israeli law
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Israel had 173 murders in 2004, compared to 147 murders in 2000.[1] Two particular characteristics of homicide in Israel are the terrorist attacks and (so called) honor killings.
There are five types of homicide in Israel:
Type Definition Murder The premeditated killing of a person, or the intentional killing of a person whilst committing, preparing for, or escaping from any crime, is murder. The mandatory punishment for this crime is life imprisonment. Life is usually commuted (clemency from the President) to 30 years from which a third can be deducted by the parole board for good behaviour. Arab terrorists are not usually granted pardons or parole other than as part of deals struck with Arab terrorist organisations or foreign governments, and in exchange for captured Israelis or their corpses. This has been the case a number of times since the establishment of the State. Reduced sentence murder If the murderer did not fully understand his actions because of mental defect (but not legal insanity or imbecility), or in circumstances close to self-defence, necessity or duress or where the murderer suffered from serious mental distress because of long-term abuse, the court can give a sentence of less than life. This is a new addition to the Israeli penal code and has been rarely used. Manslaughter The deliberate killing of a person without premeditation (or the other circumstances of murder) is manslaughter for which the maximum sentence is 20 years. The sentence depends on the particular circumstances of the crime and its perpetrator. Negligent killing or vehicular killing Maximum sentence is 3 years (minimum of 11 months for the driver). The perpetrator in this situation can expect to receive some jail time of about 6 – 12 months. Infanticide The killing of a baby less than 12 months old by its mother where she can show that she was suffering from the effects of the birth or breast-feeding. Maximum sentence is 5 years. References
Categories:- Murder law by country
- Israeli law
- Murder in Israel
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