22 October 2014
Israel’s ministers must reject the proposed law meant to
circumvent the High Court ruling that rendered
the imprisonment of asylum seekers unconstitutional.
On Sunday the Ministerial Committee for Legislation will debate a proposal by MK Ayelet Shaked to add an “overcoming the limitations” clause to the Basic Law on Human Dignity and Freedom, which would allow the Knesset to re-legislate a law that was struck down by the High Court of Justice as unconstitutional, on condition that it stay in effect only up to four years, and pass with at least 61 votes.
Shaked justifies the bill – whose aim is to help the government formulate a new law that would allow asylum seekers to be imprisoned without legal proceedings and for an unlimited time – by saying that it gives “the last word” to the elected officials in cases of an “ethical dispute” between them and the court.
