Justice Minister Prof. Yaakov Ne’eman is just one of the growing number of legislators in Israel who has grown tired of the ultra-liberal High Court of Justice running the nation and he is working on submitting a bill that will give the power back to the Knesset.

Ne’eman wishes to propose a bill that will permit the legislative body to override a High Court ruling with a simple vote of 65 of the 120 MKs. He intends to pass a bill into law that will permit the Knesset to re-legislate a law if the law is ruled illegal or disqualified by the High Court by a majority of 65.

Over recent years the tensions between the Knesset and High Court have been rising as the two battle over ultimate superiority pertaining to running the country. The Knesset legislates laws and the court disqualifies them, leaving MKs increasingly frustrated as they seek a method to circumvent the court’s final word.

One of the challenges facing the bill according to the daily Haaretz is the High Court maintains the right to disqualify any bill introduced to Knesset that contradicts the nation’s Basic Law, which is the equivalent of Israel’s constitution since the country does not have one. Therefore, according to some experts, this bill is just that, contradicting the Basic Law, so the court may disqualify it before it has a chance to pass through Knesset.

Speaking out against the senior minister’s bill was Labor Party leader MK Shelly Yacimovich who feels Mr. Ne’eman should busy himself with introducing badly-needed social reform legislation and not trying to dodge the High Court. She feels the minister’s bill would open a Pandora’s Box of irresponsible legislation and she opposes it conceptually speaking, explaining the High Court’s role is essential and efforts to minimize this role are not in the national interest.

ACRI (Association for Civil Rights in Israel) released a message that the bill will negatively impact the rights of citizens.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)