Chief Justice Esther Hayut: There's no 'rule of the judiciary'

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, Esther Hayut, rejected the recent harsh criticism against the State Prosecutor's Office and the judicial system.

"Recently, voices are increasingly heard seeking to present the principle of the rule of law as the 'rule of the judiciary' and as a stumbling block of what is called by those voices as 'governance,'" Hayut said at a conference on Thursday.

"There's no greater mistake than this. The judges, public service attorneys, including the attorney general and state attorney, and all other law enforcement agencies entrusted with the rule of law, do so with faith, professionalism and a deep sense of mission. And these positions are all, of course, subject to the law and the principle of the rule of law."

"As we're all flesh and blood, none of us is free from mistakes and therefore control and supervision mechanisms are required for each of the public servants I mentioned. But there is a great difference between these mechanisms and criticism that undermines the legitimacy of legal institutions in the State of Israel, including the irresponsible defamation of these public servants."