Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir said he intends to introduce a series of reforms in Israel’s legal system aimed at a more equitable administration of justice and protective of civil rights. He said that a new basic low will be submitted to the Knesset, possibly when it returns from its summer recess, that will expand the powers of the nine-member Supreme Court.
He said the court would be empowered to nullify laws approved by the Knesset which conflict with basic laws. Israel has no written constitution but a number of basic laws have been adopted over the years that can be changed only by a two-thirds majority of the Knesset. Tamir said he also intends to propose a bill to limit wire-tapping by government agencies.
The bill would make wire-tapping legal only if approved by the Premier, the Defense Minister or the President of a district court at the request of a senior police official. Illegal wire-tapping would carry penalties of up to three years in jail.
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