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Photo: Yariv Katz
Chief Justice Miriam Naor
Photo: Yariv Katz

In parting interview, Naor says court won't be strong-armed

In farewell interview with Israel Bar Association before retiring Thursday, Chief Justice Naor says Supreme Court will continue to be strong and that no one can 'threaten, strong-arm it'; Naor refers to certain politicians' remarks on judiciary as 'needless,' as attempts to sway the court 'had no influence.'

In anticipation of her impending retirement from the Supreme Court's bench Thursday, outgoing Chief Justice Miriam Naor gave an interview to the Israel Bar Association's journal, in which she said, "The Supreme Court was a strong court, is still strong and will continue to be strong. No one can threaten or strong-arm this court."

 

 

Naor added some politicians' remarks on the court were needless and their attempts to sway its judges "had no influence."

 

Chief Justice Naor will retire Thursday (Photo: Yoav Dudkevich)
Chief Justice Naor will retire Thursday (Photo: Yoav Dudkevich)

 

The politicians' attempts failed, Naor said, "because there wasn't an option of capitulating to threats and slander, which is an attitude I instilled in generations of judges."

 

Naor also described her personal relationship with her political contemporary Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked. "(The relationship is) Excellent. We have a rapport carried out in both frequent personal meetings and through texting, which we use to resolve outstanding issues. Each of us has her own role to play within the system, and each of us wants to safeguard that system," she explained.

 

Above all else, Naor professed that she pines for the day she can walk around Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market without security guards. Naor said after a short "post-service break" she plans for the end of her 38-year term in Israel's courts system, she intends to write two books: one on fact finding during trial proceedings and the other a children's mystery book.

 

Despite Naor's attesting to her "excellent" relatiosnship with Minister Shaked, the outgoing chief justice and the justice minister did manage to air one last confrontation, concerning the golden jubilee ceremony commemorating 50 years of Jewish settlement in the West Bank, Jordan Valley and Golan Heights.

 

Naor (L) clashed with Justice Minister Shaked recently over the judiciary's participating in a ceremony commemorating West Bank settlement (Photo: Ministry of Justice Spokesperson)
Naor (L) clashed with Justice Minister Shaked recently over the judiciary's participating in a ceremony commemorating West Bank settlement (Photo: Ministry of Justice Spokesperson)

 

After Naor blocked representatives of the court from attending the ceremony, Shaked wrote her, "I regretted learning of your decision. The ceremony was to be held by virtue of a government decision numbered 2605 dated April 9, 2017, and as such is considered to be a state event that all of the country's dignitaries will attend, including a representative of the judiciary.

 

"In your announcement, you've undone the stateliness of an official ceremony decided on by the government, and created the false impression that this was an event with political undertones," Shaked added.

 

Shaked went on to say that "Even though you sought to avoid a political dispute, your goal was missed. The Movement for Quality Government was right in its letter to you today when it said 'this could play into the hands of those who wish to portray the court as a player in the political field.'"

 

Chief Justice Naor pulled the judiciary from participating in the ceremony (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
Chief Justice Naor pulled the judiciary from participating in the ceremony (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

 

Chief Justice Naor, for her part, claimed, "The event is a matter of public controversy. Therefore, and without the chief justice or any other justice expressing their opinion on the matter, it would be inappropriate for the judiciary to participate."

 

It was further stated that ethics rules stipulate representatives of the judiciary will not participate in an event with political or party undertones. Naor's office added then the judiciary will continue participating in state ceremonies, but abstain from controversial ones, especially a ceremony with "only one side receiving the platform."

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.24.17, 08:54
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