Process & OversightEnacted 1988
Basic Law: The State Comptroller חוק יסוד: מבקר המדינה
Establishes the State Comptroller's independence, public-audit duties and role as Ombudsman. The office is accountable to the Knesset and independent of the government.
Key provisions
- Elected by secret ballot of the Knesset for a single seven-year term
- Audits state finances, ministries, state enterprises, local authorities and other bodies subject to audit by law.
- Functions as Ombudsman for public complaints
- Responsible only to the Knesset, not to the government
- Audited bodies must provide the information, documents and explanations the Comptroller requires for an audit.
Context
The office was established by statute in 1949 and gained Ombudsman duties in 1971. The Basic Law was enacted in 1988.
Today
As of 5 October 2026, the office had no serving Comptroller after Matanyahu Englman's term ended in July. The High Court annulled the June runoff won by Michael Rabilo over ballot-secrecy violations and ordered a repeat vote against Yosef Elron; that vote remained pending.
Cite this page
Basic Law: The State Comptroller (1988). The State of Israel. https://thestateofisrael.com/basic-law/the-state-comptroller