Israeli Parl advances bill aiming to override top court

JERUSALEM: A bill that would allow Israeli lawmakers to override Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority has been advanced by Parliament.

The "Supreme Court override bill", which passed in a preliminary vote in Parliament with a 61-52 majority, still needs three full rounds of votes before becoming law, reports Xinhua news agency.

If approved, the law will enable a narrow majority of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Parliament to re-enact laws that have been struck down by the Supreme Court, even if the court finds them unconstitutional.

This is the latest effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right ruling coalition to weaken the Supreme Court and give greater power to the government over the legal system by swiftly passing a series of laws.

Critics say Netanyahu's plan to overhaul Israel's legal system will undermine the independence of the judiciary, weaken the rule of law, and potentially threaten democracy by giving the government too much power.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, returned to office in December 2022 as the leader of the most right-wing governing coalition in the country's history.

He is standing a criminal trial over three separate cases of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

He denies the charges, saying they are part of a "witch hunt".