The talk will examine the role of governme
nt legal advisors during periods of national emergency\, drawing on Israel’
s experience during COVID-19 and large-scale security emergencies.
In
each of these moments\, the executive branch was required to act quickly\,
often through emergency regulations and fast-tracked legislation\, while op
erating within a constitutional framework that demands legality\, proportio
nality\, transparency\, and judicial review. Dekel-Shafrir will explore the
institutional role of the Israeli Ministry of Justice and the government’s
legal advisory system in navigating these tensions.
The discussion w
ill address questions such as:
• How should emergency powers be exerci
sed without normalizing exceptional measures?
• What safeguards can re
alistically be preserved when legislation is enacted under urgent condition
s?
• How do legal advisors balance executive necessity with judicial o
versight and the protection of rights?
• How can governments maintain
public trust when restricting movement\, economic activity\, or civil liber
ties?
• What does it take to return from “emergency governance” to con
stitutional normalcy?
Using concrete examples from COVID-19 regulation
s\, rapid legislative processes\, administrative adaptations\, and subseque
nt judicial scrutiny\, Dekel-Shafrir will reflect on broader comparative le
ssons about institutional resilience and democratic accountability in times
of crisis.
Yael Dekel-Shafrir is the head of the Special Affairs Uni
t at the Attorney General's Office in Israel and a student in the mid-caree
r Master of Public Administration Program at the Harvard Kennedy School as
a Fulbright Fellow. Based in Israel\, Yael has dedicated her career to adv
ancing democratic values and the rule of law.
As a legal professional\
, Yael addresses critical constitutional challenges\, safeguarding democrat
ic institutions within complex societal and political changes. Previously s
he served as director of the Department of Economic Law\, leading significa
nt governmental legislation and policy initiatives\, and as a member of the
Administrative Enforcement Committee of the Israel Securities Authority. H
er exceptional contributions\, including her leadership in shaping the Arra
ngements Law\, earned her the Ministry of Justice Excellence Award in 2022.
Earlier in her career\, Yael prosecuted economic crimes at the State Attor
ney's Office. She holds an LLM (magna cum laude) from Bar-Ilan University a
nd an LLB from Tel Aviv University.