Supreme Court president Asher Grunis steps down
After final ruling dismissing terrorist’s appeal for compensation for abuse in prison, justice hands over reins to Miriam Naor
Supreme Court President Asher Grunis on Thursday stepped down after three years as the leading justice on the country’s top court, issuing a last ruling denying a convicted Lebanese terrorist compensation from the state.
Grunis, who has served as a judge in the Israeli justice system since 1988 and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2003, handed over the reins to Justice Miriam Naor at a ceremony at the court in Jerusalem. He stepped down two days before his 70th birthday, when he is legally required to retire from the post.
In his final ruling, Grunis overturned a court decision to grant convicted Lebanese terrorist Mustafa Dirani damages for rape and abuse while in Israeli prison. Four justices, including Grunis and Naor, voted for overturning the previous decision; three voted against. Grunis said that in this case the court applies the principle according to which it can’t look into the claims of an enemy during wartime.
Dirani, a commander of the Amal Shiite Lebanese movement and the last man known to have held missing Israeli Air Force pilot Ron Arad, was captured by Israeli commandos in May 1994.
He was released in 2004 in a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah after being interrogated.
Dirani accused one of his Israeli interrogators, known only as “Captain George,” of employing brutal methods, including sodomy, during the investigation against him, which reportedly did not bring to light any new information regarding Arad’s whereabouts.
During the ceremony, the resigning justice dismissed growing criticism of the court’s power and calls to subordinate the judiciary to the Knesset.
“In recent years a public debate calling for the reduction of the Supreme Court’s powers has been heard,” Grunis said at the ceremony. “As far as I’m concerned there is no justifiable reason to limit it’s authority.”
“It’s understood that the Knesset as the constituent authority is entitled to outline the character of Israel’s constitutional law,” he said. “But it must do so with responsibility, with great caution, and with a deep understanding of the foundations of democratic rule.”
