Retired High Court of Justice President Prof. Aaron Barak on Tuesday released a long and comprehensive criticism against Justice Minister Daniel Friedman. Barak is warning that if his reforms are implemented, Israel risks becoming a third world country, stating that the minister is seeking to remove the authority of the court and place it in the hands of the “powerful”, either “the neighborhood bully or the government,” and in this case, the government, cabinet ministers – the political system in place of the judicial system.

Barak is warning that if permitted to move ahead with his reforms, the president of the High Court will lose her power, as will the justices and the power will be transferred to the ministers and politicians. He acknowledged there are problems that demand a “fix” but he should “fix and not destroy”.

Barak stated that if Friedman is permitted to restrict one’s ability to appear before the court, one of his proposed reforms, many cases that are leveled against corruption in the political arena would never find their way before the nation’s highest court.

The retired veteran High Court justice stated that the minister is not the man for the job, warning the government to intervene before the damage is done and it may be too late.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)