HIgh Court vs. government: Prosecutor says AG ‘never had authority to order PM to step down’
(Worthy News) – The High Court of Justice on Thursday heard petitions against an amendment to Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws that is meant to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from being declared incapacitated, and forced to recuse himself from his position because of his criminal trial while he is pushing through legislation that would directly affect his legal challenges.
The petitioners assert that this amendment is of a personal nature, meant to help Netanyahu, and undermines the judiciary’s checks and balances on the executive and legislative branches. They warn that this could bring Israel a step closer to a dictatorship. They also challenge the immediate enforcement of the law, stating that it paves the way for a hazardous precedent: the prime minister could adjust constitutional conditions according to his whims, leveraging his temporary majority.
During prior discussions about the amendment, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara contended it must be struck down. Responding to a High Court injunction a week prior, she proposed a deferment of its enforcement, at least until the forthcoming parliamentary session. [ Source (Read More…) ]