Supreme Court president warns attacks on judiciary threaten democratic order

Supreme Court Chief Justice Isaac Amit has warned that Israel’s justice system is under “full-blown attack”, highlighting the erosion of judicial independence and the rule of law in the country.

The Israeli judicial system is under a “full-blown attack” that “goes well beyond the limits of legitimate criticism,” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit warned on Wednesday.

Amit made the remarks during a ceremony in Jerusalem for newly licensed lawyers who recently passed the bar exam.

His comments come in a context of almost daily verbal and procedural challenges directed against the judiciary. From the proposed 2022 judicial reform legislation, to the government’s refusal to formally recognize Amit as Chief Justice, to efforts to remove the Attorney General, tensions between the judiciary and the legislative and executive branches have reached unprecedented levels.

“We are witnessing attempts to weaken the judiciary, undermine its independence and exhaust its dedicated and professional judges who have dedicated their lives to public service,” Amit said.

One of the flashpoints in the confrontation between the judiciary and the government – in particular Justice Minister Yariv Levin – concerns the appointment of judges.

Levin has repeatedly refused over the past year to convene the judicial selection committee and advance Supreme Court nominations. After a series of High Court rulings forced the convening of the committee, Amit was chosen as the Chief Justice and took office after taking oath before the President.

Levin refused to recognize Amit’s nomination

Levin has since refused to formally recognize Amit’s appointment through a ministerial publication and has openly challenged the court’s authority in related proceedings, framing the dispute as one over democratic legitimacy and the balance of power.

Currently, the High Court is considering a growing number of petitions that test the limits of executive discretion in appointing judges. Its decisions are expected to shape not only the status of specific appointments, but also the future contours of judicial independence and governance in Israel.

“The obligation to respect the law and observe judicial decisions is a necessary and fundamental condition for the existence of a functioning democratic society,” Amit said.

“When public figures completely ignore decisions that do not align with their views, what message does that send to the public? he asked. “If a person in a position of power allows himself to ignore a judicial decision that does not suit him, why would an average citizen consider himself bound by that same decision?

What Israel is witnessing today, Amit warned, is an erosion of “the very idea of ​​equal application of the law – a system that binds every citizen. If the law is not applied equally, it loses its meaning.”