High Court freezes parts of controversial media overhaul law

The High Court of Justice has frozen implementation of parts of a sweeping media industry overhaul bill passed by the Knesset in its final hours before disbanding last week.

The order covers parts of the bill that were slated to go into effect immediately, but notes that much of the bill’s main thrust will not be implemented yet and thus no emergency stay was necessary.

In its petition, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel had raised concerns that parts of the law going into effect immediately would “cause irreversible damage to the media market” and be used to sway the October 27 election.

Other petitioners had alleged a slew of severe procedural flaws in the legislative process.

In the ruling, Justice Ofer Grosskopf calls those claims “weighty” and also notes concerns about its effects being irreversible. The freeze is in effect until an interim order is issued, with the government given a week to respond in the meantime.

The law significantly expands government control over Israel’s broadcast media and news sector by overhauling media regulation. It removes longstanding oversight mechanisms, minimum journalistic standards, obligations to invest in original Israeli productions and restrictions on cross-ownership. And it gives the government greater influence over television ratings and state advertising allocation.