Israel - Supreme Court overturns core element of Netanyahu's controversial judicial reform
On Monday, Israel's Supreme Court declared a central element of the controversial judicial reform of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government invalid. The court announced that eight out of 15 judges voted against an amendment to the law on the so-called appropriateness clause passed by parliament in July. The amendment to the clause was intended to remove the Supreme Court's ability to classify government decisions as "unreasonable" and overrule them.
The right-wing government's plans to restructure the judiciary have deeply divided the country. The plaintiffs against the law restricting the so-called appropriateness clause had argued that it would weaken the judiciary as a pillar of Israeli democracy. They fear that disempowering the judiciary could pave the way for an authoritarian state.
Parliament passed the law restricting the powers of the judiciary by a narrow majority in July, despite ongoing protests. Netanyahu's government, a coalition of his Likud party and far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, considers the legislative changes to be necessary in order to reorganize the balance of power in the separation of powers.
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In response to the Supreme Court's ruling, critics of the Israeli government argue that the judicial reform could potentially threaten political justice and the democratic principles of the country. With the invalidation of the amendment to the law on the appropriateness clause, Israel's domestic policy now faces the challenge of finding a balanced approach to reforming the judicial system while maintaining the principles of justice and separation of powers.
Source: www.stern.de
