High Court says minister had no right to order delay in vaccination of prisoners

High Court of Justice judges rebuke Public Security Minister Amir Ohana (Likud), saying he didn’t have the authority to order the Israel Prisons Service to delay the vaccination of prisoners.

The ruling has no effect now that prisoners are being immunized, but the court has issued the decision at the request of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

The three judges write different explanations. Justice Noam Solberg says Ohana’s order was issued “without legal authority,” saying that only the Health Ministry has the power to give it. He adds that the prevention of vaccines cannot be a punishment for a convict.

Justice Dafna Barak-Erez adds that Ohana had no right to disregard Mandelblit’s opinion that the order was illegal.

Justice Menachem Mazuz writes even blunter words, saying Ohana issued the order “with blatant lack of authority and illegally, and it is void of all legal validity.”