Hayut: There needs to be ‘mortal blow’ to democracy to justify striking down Basic Law

12 September 2023, 4:33 pm 4 Edit

President of the Supreme Court Esther Hayut and all fifteen judges assemble to hear petitions against the 'reasonableness clause' at the court premises in Jerusalem, on September 12, 2023. (Photo by DEBBIE HILL / POOL / AFP)

Chief Justice Esther Hayut tells Aner Helman, who is representing the attorney general, that there needs to be a “mortal blow” to democracy for the court to justify striking down a Basic Law.

“We can’t nullify Basic Laws every other day. There needs to be a mortal blow to the basic tenets of the state as a democratic state,” Hayut says.

Helman responds, saying that the reasonableness law represents “a major blow to the rule of law, it’s dramatic.”