BICOM

Supreme Court Judge Asher Grunis will be sworn in this afternoon as Israel’s new Chief Justice. Grunis will succeed Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, who will pronounce her final judgement.
Grunis is perceived be less inclined to “judicial activism” than his predecessor. One legal source told the Jerusalem Post that Grunis “is a minimalist when it comes to interfering with Knesset laws and the government.”
In an interview last week, former chief justice Aharon Barak described Beinisch’s period as the most difficult since the establishment of the Supreme Court. Barak noted the criticism directed at several Supreme Court decisions which annulled Knesset laws and criticised government policies.
Whilst many have praised the Supreme Court as a staunch defender of constitutional rights, including in the face of controversial Knesset legislation, other Israeli jurists believe the court must interfere in the legislative authority of the Knesset only in extreme cases.
Last week, the court ruled that a law exempting ultra-Orthodox men from military service was discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional. While hailed by some, the ruling was strongly criticised by some politicians, illustrating the tensions surrounding Israel’s Supreme Court.