Witnesses in Israeli courts will not in future have to take an oath to tell the truth if Israel’s Parliament accepts draft legislation announced today by Haim Cohen, the Attorney General.
The Israeli law officer said that his ministry was submitting a whole series of revisions of the legal code and civil law, some of which dates back to. Turkish rule, for action by the fourth Knesset which convened today.
The Attorney General explained that the oath was unnecessary because “it is a vestige of superstition and is not effective.” Instead, the proposed code revision would have the court formally advise the witness or defendant that he would be subject to severe punishment if he failed to tell the truth.
An important change in the criminal code would bar a blanket guilty plea by a defendant The defendant would be able to state the correctness or incorrectness of specific points in the charges against him but would not be able to make a blanket plea of guilty to the entire charge.
Mr. Cohen said that in the past innocent people had pleaded guilty only because their lawyers had advised them that was the quickest way to get the trial over with. Another change recommended by the Attorney General was the holding of libel trials behind closed doors to avoid further unfavorable publicity.
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