Birzeit University established the Institute of Law (IoL) in 1993 in order to contribute to the evolution of legal structures and the rule of law in Palestine. The establishment of a Palestinian administration and legislative activity has created a need for a venue in which academics and professionals can think systematically and creatively about the challenges facing legal institutions in Palestine, and contribute to building them. Due to the constitutional and legal history of the West Bank and Gaza, inherited legislation urgently needs review and the individuals whose function it is to study, control or implement them need to upgrade their skills.

As a contribution to the building of human capacities, IoL conducts applied legal research and offers continuing legal education through conferences, workshops, seminars and training courses. On the academic level, IoL offers a Masters' degree in Law and is a partner with the Women's Studies Institute, and the Development Studies Program in the "Gender, Law and Development" Masters program.

IoL's has also been able to contribute to the emerging rule of law in Palestine through the development of a legal databank and its flagship program, Al-Muqtafi. Developed over the past five years, it contains a referential database of all legislation enacted in Palestine over the last 150 years with textual images from original sources. Iol also maintains an active site on the Internet. IoL's website, with cooperation of Diwan al-Fatwa wa al-Tashri', now publishes the Palestine Gazette online.

The Institute of Law houses the 'Montesquieu Law Library'. It is already the largest specialized and modern law library in the Palestinian Territories. Its goal is to meet the information requirements of lawmakers, legal practitioners, teachers, researchers and students in the West Bank and Gaza, and others interested individuals and institutions abroad.
For more information, please visit the Institute's website at: http://lawcenter.birzeit.edu