Deputy AG: Judicial overhaul will leave Israel ‘a weaker democracy’

5 February 2023, 2:15 pm

Edit

Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky speaks during a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on February 5, 2023. (Twitter screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky tells lawmakers that the government’s plans for overhauling Israel’s judicial system will make the country “a weaker democracy.”

Speaking during a meeting of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Sompolinsky warns that the proposed changes — which include sharply curbing the High Court’s ability to strike down laws, and cementing full political control over judicial picks — will not ensure a proper balance between Israel’s three branches of government, as its proponents argue.

“The result will not achieve a balanced system of relations, but rather removes checks and balances from the Knesset and government,” she says.