Retired judges slam justice minister

In the conference dealing with the relationship between the judicial system and the political establishment, retired Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin said, "It is hard to believe that one man could cause so much damage in six months…Since his appointment he has brought on a flood of changes and he claims that people are always attacking him personally and irrelevantly."

Cheshin then challenged the justice minister to demonstrate the good of the reforms he has made during his time in office.

Judge Dalia Dorner said in her speech that she was concerned for the State of Israel. "Today the executive authority is taking over the Supreme Court; this is a judicial coup in which the government is taking over the judicial authority. The dispute is being presented as personal in order to blur the takeover," Dorner said.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Professor Yitzhak Zamir joined Cheshin and Dorner in their attacks. Commenting on the 'peace agreement' published last week by former Supreme Court presidents Aharon Barak and Meir Shamgar, Zamir said, "This is a nicely worded letter, but in many ways it is empty. Especially when the minister has to take back steps that he has already begun taking."

MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) was the only one to stand up for the justice minister at the conference, saying, "Aharon Barak declared a judicial revolution… But in this case it was the elite that made the decision, which means it was a coup and not a revolution. A coup in which the elite put itself in the place of the legislator and decided it could replace it and expand it. Barak's interpretation has actually turned into legislation."

'Claims detached from reality'

Minister Friedmann's aide told Ynet in response that "it is unfortunate that despite the agreement that was composed by retired Supreme Court Presidents Aharon Barak and Meir Shamgar, retired Supreme Court Justices Dalia Dorner, Mishael Cheshin and Yitzhak Zamir continue making the same claims that have no ounce of truth and are completely detached from reality".

According to Friedmann's aide, "Even the ideal picture they are trying to paint regarding the period preceding Friedmann's arrival is far from reality. Disputes with previous justice ministers, that also alarmed retired Supreme Court judges, led to a situation where the Judges' Nominations Committee's work came to a halt.

"The foot-dragging reached intolerable dimensions and civil service completely deteriorated. Professor Friedmann revived the system and filled in the lines missing judges and the citizens know very well that it is thanks to him that the system has improved and that the services they receive only got better. Anyone who really examines Professor Friedmann's statements and actions knows that they are only good for the system and the justice minister will continue to work toward strengthening it, improving it and creating the judicial system's independence," he said.