Court Security Begins Requiring Conduct Pledges From Past Disruptors

Starting Sunday morning, the Courts Administration began requiring some courtroom attendees to sign a new pledge before being allowed into hearings. The form is aimed at people previously identified by the courts as having disrupted proceedings, either during hearings or afterward, and it applies only to those whose behavior was deemed to have gone beyond accepted courtroom norms and into public disorder.

By signing, participants must acknowledge that their conduct in the courtroom or public areas of the court has been explained to them as having interfered with the orderly running of hearings or public order. They also must agree to obey instructions from the court and court security, avoid interruptions, refrain from disrupting proceedings, and not harass litigants or their attorneys. The document further requires respectful behavior toward judges, lawyers, state employees, and other parties, both in hearing rooms and in public spaces within the courts.

The form says a violation can lead to immediate removal from the courthouse and possibly being barred from future hearings, at the discretion of the court or court security. It also warns that disrupting order may constitute a criminal offense or lead to contempt proceedings.

MK Tally Gotliv attacked the move, telling Channel 7 that the Supreme Court had created a private database of right-wing citizens without authority and was forcing them to sign a document with no legal basis as a condition for entering the Supreme Court. She said the court had already barred her and would bar other right-wing activists, calling it bullying and saying, “Not forever will the strong hold.” The B’Tsalmo organization also condemned the policy, saying the High Court was trying to silence Israeli citizens and that the form was meant to intimidate the public and stop lawful criticism. B’Tsalmo said it would work to cancel what it called a discriminatory and extreme procedure.