Courts and Democracy
Barak, Friedmann at war in Hebrew press
Former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak has called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to fire Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, whom he has accused of threatening to destroy Israeli democracy.
Rattling the cage: Keep Beinish's court supreme
I know Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann doesn't intend to cripple Israel's democracy and turn it into a Third World country, which is what former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak just warned is going to happen.
Who's afraid of judicial reform?
The struggle between the Supreme Court and Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann seems to have entered a new phase. Not only do we hear Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch lash out against the minister, but her predecessor as chief justice, Aharon Barak, has...
Center Court
A book review of "Judicial Activism, For and Against: The Role of the High Court of Justice in Israeli Society" by Ruth Gavison, Mordechai Kremnitzer, and Yoav Dotan. Gordon evaluates the arguments of the book and makes comments on the legitimacy...
The Role of Courts in Rifted Democracies
Independent courts are very central elements of the rule of law and democracy. At the same time, criticism of judicial performances may be legitimate and even justified. Courts are not elected powers. Their legitimacy stems from the fact that th...