Ex-Supreme Court Chief Justice Warns of 'Fatal Blow' to Judiciary
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
Former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut has strongly criticized proposed changes to the Judicial Selection Committee, warning they would critically damage judicial independence and Israeli democracy. She referenced Menachem Begin's stance and advocated for judicial impartiality. The proposed amendment would increase politicians' power in judge appointments, a move Hayut argues politicizes the process and weakens the judiciary's role as a check on government power.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut warned proposed judicial changes would be a 'fatal blow' to democracy.
- Hayut criticized the proposed amendment to the Judicial Selection Committee, citing increased political influence.
- She invoked the legacy of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin in her call for judicial independence.
- The amendment would shift power in judge appointments from legal professionals to politicians.
- Hayut stated an independent judiciary is the last defense against arbitrary government rule.
Former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut has sharply criticized proposed changes to the Judicial Selection Committee, warning that they would severely harm the independence of the justice system. Speaking at the launch of a new book by journalist and author Itamar Levin, Hayut invoked the stance of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin and called for preserving judicial impartiality.
The proposed legal amendment, which is expected to be advanced by the current government, would alter the composition of the committee responsible for appointing judges, granting politicians significantly more power. This contrasts with the existing law, which gives greater influence to legal professionals on the committee.
Hayut, speaking on the topic of "Judicial Independence: Then and Today," emphasized that the judicial appointment system established in Israel in 1953 was designed to ensure the judiciary's independence from political influence. She argued that the amendment would inject strong political colors into the appointment process and genuinely damage the independence of judges.
She cautioned that weakening the justice system's independence jeopardizes Israeli democracy. Hayut further warned of a dangerous campaign of delegitimization against the judiciary in recent years by elements who find its independence and impartiality inconvenient. According to her, these elements portray the justice system as anti-democratic or a "judicial dictatorship that must be crushed," and call for disobedience of court rulings.
"Harm to the independence of the judiciary is a fatal blow to Israeli democracy," Hayut stated, "as an independent judicial system is the citizen's last line of defense against the arbitrary rule of the government."