The High Court judges ruled this morning, Thursday, that the Attorney General is authorized to make a conflict of interest settlement with the Prime Minister and that the provisions of this settlement are binding and he must act in accordance with them.
The ruling was given in the framework of petitions filed by the Movement for the Quality of Government in Israel and 69 private petitioners to be represented by Atty. Dafna Holtz Lachner.
In the ruling, Chief Justice Esther Hayut rejected the claim that only a minister or prime minister is authorized to determine whether he is in a conflict of interest or not, and ruled that the Attorney General is authorized to give a binding legal opinion on this issue as well.
Hayut noted that over the years a long line of rulings have established that "the Attorney General's opinion on legal issues is binding on the government and its authorities as long as the court has not ruled otherwise."
She also clarified that the issue of conflict of interest is not an exception to this rule.
"The area of conflict of interest is at the core of the Attorney General's role as one who works to protect the rule of law and maintain order, good administration and purity of morals, Hayut said. "Therefore, leaving the final decision in this field to the AG and not the minister who is the subject of the settlement has clear and distinguished importance."