While the Knesset is divided: High Court again undermines democracy

Sivan Yehzekel argues in an opinion column that Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit is harming democracy by convening an expanded panel to discuss the authority of the Justice Minister, after three judges already recognized it. The writer accuses the court of creating a 'parallel legislative track' to the Knesset.

Sivan Yehzekel argues in an opinion column on Channel 14 that Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit is harming democracy by convening an expanded panel of 11 judges to discuss the authority of the Justice Minister to appoint a supervisor for criminal investigations in cases of conflict of interest. The writer notes that three High Court judges already recognized this authority in the case of the Military Advocate General, and that Amit is reopening the issue despite this. According to her, the court is creating a 'parallel legislative track' to the Knesset, where judicial precedent can change the meaning of the law without a democratic legislative process. The writer quotes Amit as saying 'Who knows better? The answer is us,' and argues that the discussion raises a fundamental question about who holds the supreme authority in the state. The column concludes by claiming that even if the panel leaves the authority intact, the very existence of the discussion indicates a deep problem in the judicial system.