Retired Supreme Court justices warn against government’s planned dismissal of AG

Ahead of a planned motion of “no confidence” in Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara at a weekly cabinet meeting later this morning, a number of retired Supreme Court justices have published a letter to the government warning it against the move.

A copy of the letter is obtained and published by several Hebrew media outlets.

“For decades, we have played a central role in maintaining the rule of law in Israel,” it begins. “As part of this role, we have exercised judicial review over decisions made by successive attorneys general on various issues on the legal and public agenda.”

An attorney general’s legal opinions are “intended to prevent the government from making illegal decisions,” the retired justices stress.

“The attorney general fulfills this role in a practical and professional manner, and it is inconceivable that fulfilling her duty as a loyal public servant would be to her detriment and lead to her dismissal,” the letter continues.

It further warns that dismissing Baharav-Miara “would seriously endanger the State of Israel’s status as a country of law founded on sound governance and administration.”

Among the letter’s signatories are retired Supreme Court presidents Esther Hayut, Dorit Beinisch and Aharon Barak, as well as former vice president Elyakim Rubinstein and ex-justice Hanan Melcer.

The motion of no confidence planned for today’s cabinet meeting is the first of several steps the government must take to remove the attorney general from office, and the process is expected to last several months.