Beinisch: Protect the legal system
Outgoing Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch urges pubic to thwart attempts to undermine judicial system's authority
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch said Monday that all elements in Israel should oppose the ongoing attempt to infringe on the Supreme Court's independence. Beinisch, who will be stepping down from her position as chief justice at the end of February, estimated that these "illegitimate attempts will continue in the future. There is an ongoing attempt to influence the Supreme Court."
"I imagine political elements will continue trying to invalidate the Supreme Court, just as they do today," Beinisch said at press conference, "I expect from, the public and the judicial system, to foil these attempts." The Supreme Court," she added, "is a powerful institution and therefore shall remain independent."
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Beinisch addressed a past speech she gave, in which she accused several ministers including Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman and MKs of inciting against the Supreme Court: "I don't judge Ne'eman and his role. The purpose of my words was to protect our justice system." When asked to respond to the public's lack of faith in the legal system, Beinisch said: "Such talk is outrageous".
'I have no regrets', Dorit Beinisch (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
While addressing the issue of the Judges Selection Committee, Beinish said that in her opinion "The Supreme Court president should head the committee."
With the Citizenship Act currently under deliberation, Beinisch acknowledged the recent claims stating judges are ruling according to public opinion: "The justice system loses its independence and credibility if its judge's rule according to the impact their verdicts will have."
The Judges Selection Committee will convene on Friday to officially choose the next chief justice, Asher Grunis. Beinisch added "I didn't want to take part in the deliberation over the next Supreme Court president."
When asked what she plans to do in the future, Beinisch said she was not busy with planning the future: "I have no regrets about any of my court rulings. I'm not planning on running for Knesset."
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