The UN human rights chief on Tuesday called for taking a measured
approach to a package of new laws the Government of Israel is
currently considering.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk raised
a range of concerns that several sets of proposed
legislative changes that Israel’s parliament is
considering would pose serious
risks to the effectiveness of the judiciary to
defend the rule of law, human rights, and judicial independence.
Human rights at risk
“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,” he said.
The proposals in their current form would limit the
Supreme Court’s ability to subject legislation to judicial
review and would require either a super majority of
judges, or even unanimity, for the top court to strike down
legislation, he cautioned.
News reports said tens of thousands of people have,
in the past weeks, attended demonstrations against
the proposed changes, including in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem.
Wider debate needed
“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,” he said. “Such issues at the heart of
rule of law deserve the fullest
consideration in order to ensure that any changes
promote, rather than diminish, the ability of the judiciary and
other branches of Government to protect the rights of all people
in Israel.”
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 with
broad political and public consensus, he said.
