Knesset panel’s legal adviser says anti-‘reasonableness’ bill is ‘too broad’

The legal adviser to the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee tells the panel that the coalition’s proposal to block judicial review over the reasonableness of politicians’ decisions is “too broad.”

Gur Bligh advises that “if the committee decides” to legislatively limit the use of the “reasonableness” test, the bill should be limited to focus only on specified areas of decision-making.

“It’s not just who makes the decisions, but what kind of decision,” Bligh says.

In his legal opinion released before the committee’s discussion today, Bligh encouraged lawmakers to limit the ban to certain fields, such as government policy on the economy.

Bligh also suggested that, parallel to reducing oversight over politicians, lawmakers create mechanisms that would improve transparency of government decisions, in place of court hearings.