OUR OFFICE HAD FILED A PETITION TO THE ISRAELI HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE TO VETO THE IMMUNITY THAT THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT (KNESSET) GAVE TO ONE OF ITS MEMBERS (FEBRUARY 17TH, 2020)
Knesset members voted in favor of granting MK Haim Katz parliamentary immunity from criminal prosecution on charges of fraud and breach of trust. Katz is the first member of parliament in Israel to win this kind of immunity by his peers in the 15 years since it became possible to do so.
On behalf of an NGO named Israeli Democracy Guard, our office petitioned to the Israeli High Court of Justice claiming that the Knesset had overstepped its authority by granting an immunity that cannot be granted by the law. By doing so, our office argued that the Israeli parliament was wrongfully interfering in the Attorney General’s work and undermining its professional view of what constitutes a crime by the MK.
For the full article in the Jerusalem Post – click here.
For further reading of reports in the Israeli media (Hebrew) – click here and here.
For the full version of the petition to the High Court of Justice (Hebrew only) – click here.
