Israel: In a first, all 15 High Court justices to hear petitions against ‘reasonableness law’
Israel
In a historic first, all 15 justices on the High Court will hear the petitions against the recently passed “reasonableness law,” said the Israeli Supreme Court, on Monday (July 31). The key clause was recently passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and is a part of the contentious judicial overhaul plan.
What did the Israeli top court say?
Israel’s Supreme Court said that all 15 judges in a historic first would take part in a hearing on arguments against the “reasonableness law”. The bill was passed a week agoin the Israeli parliament (Knesset) by the Netanyahu government, effectively curbing the top court’s power.
The Supreme Court agreed to discuss the petitions filed by Israeli civil society groups and others to strike down the bill ratified last week, on September 12. The court spokesperson confirming the hearing said it would mark the first time in the country’s history an extended bench would preside.
The top court also faces public pressure to strike down the recently passed law and appears to have opted for a full complement of judges because of the highly delicate nature of the matter.
Week after week for nearly seven months since the judicial reform was first announced by the incumbent government, Israeli citizens have led massive protests across the country to stop the legislation. According to the critics, the reform will effectively remove checks on the executive’s authority and could lead to abuseof power.
Israel’s defence minister warns about mounting overhaul tensions
On Monday, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, in a closed-door meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, warned about the threat to national security over the government’s controversial overhaul plans.
Gallant said that “there is harm to national resilience that may lead to harm to national security,” according to a spokesperson of the committee, as quoted by the Times of Israel.
Additionally, he also said that while the military remained combat-ready in the face of mounting protests, there may be damage in the long term. This is after volunteer reservists warned they will not report for duty if the proposed overhaul is passed.
Netanyahu government’s passing of ‘reasonableness bill’
Last week, Netanyahu’s government passed the first part of a judicial overhaul in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) called the “reasonableness bill” which seeks to strip the top court of the power to declare government decisions unreasonable.
The key clause was passed with 64 votes in favour — mainly by lawmakers of the ruling coalition— and zero against it, as the entire 56-member opposition boycotted the vote in protest.
Since then, protesters have continued to ramp up pressure on the Netanyahu government and renewed their months-long nationwide demonstrations against the controversial overhaul of the country’s judiciary.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.