UN human rights chief Volker Turk expressed concern that several proposed legislative changes currently being considered in Israel’s parliament would pose severe risks to the effectiveness of the judiciary.
In a statement, Turk said the changes could hamper the judiciary’s ability to defend the rule of law and pose risks to human rights and judicial independence.
“Breaking from decades of settled practice, such a law would drastically undermine the ability of the judiciary to vindicate individual rights and to uphold the rule of law as an effective institutional check on executive and legislative power,” said Turk.
“I am concerned that, if passed, these changes risk weakening human rights protections for all, but especially the most vulnerable communities and groups less able to vindicate their rights through representation in the executive and legislative branches of government,” said Turk.
“Changes going to the heart of a country’s long-standing constitutional structure, and which affect well-established institutional safeguards, should only be undertaken following extensive consultation and broad political and public consensus,” Turk added.
“Given the degree of public and political concern, I call on the government of Israel to pause the proposed legislative changes and open them up for wider debate and reflection.”
Israel’s parliament is pushing ahead with changes promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist government which it says are needed to rein in activist judges who intervene in politics. The proposals, which have sparked mass protests, could increase the government’s sway in choosing judges and set limits on the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down legislation.
