Israeli law is based mostly on a common law legal system, though it also reflects the diverse
history of the territory of the
State of Israel throughout the last hundred years (which was at various times prior to independence under
Ottoman, then
British sovereignty), as well as the legal systems of its major
religious communities. The Israeli legal system is based in
common law, which also incorporates facets of
civil law. Israel
does not have a formal Constitution, despite the assertion in the Israeli Declaration of Independence that one would be written. Statutes enacted by the
Knesset, particularly the
Basic Laws of Israel (
Hebrew language: חוקי היסוד, ḥŭḳḳēi ha-yyǝsōd), provide a framework which is enriched by political
precedent and
jurisprudence. Foreign and historical influences on modern-day Israeli law are varied and include the
Mecelle (
Hebrew: מג'לה; the civil code of the
Ottoman Empire) and
German civil law, religious law (Jewish
Halakha and Muslim
Sharia; mostly pertaining in the area of
family law), and
British common law. The Israeli courts have been influenced in recent years by
American Law and
Canadian Law and to a lesser extent by
Continental Law (mostly from
Germany).