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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (file)
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| By Israel Insider staff August 1, 2007 |
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Former justice minister Dan Meridor expressed outrage and alarm at what he said was Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann's weakening of the Supreme Court's authority. In American terms, Meridor is accusing the two men of offsetting the balance between the executive and judicial branches.
"It seems the government's sole intention is to empower politicians at the expense of the court - such as the proposal to increase politicians' power in the Judicial Selection Committee, which would increase judges' dependence on the justice minister and decrease the influence of the Supreme Court president," Meridor said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
He said that their attempt to undermine the Supreme Court's independence was an "unprecedented attack since the establishment of the state."
"I think we need to understand the depth and seriousness of the problem. Since the establishment of the State of Israel ? there were verdicts against various governments in very sensitive subjects," the former justice minister said, warning that a weak Supreme Court means de facto immunity to cabinet members. "These verdicts can be recalled from the days of [former prime minister David] Ben Gurion, through the days of [former prime minister] Golda Meir, [former prime minister] Menachem Begin and up till today. The [supreme] court told the government what it is allowed to do and what it isn't allowed to do. That's its job."
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