Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar (New Hope) is planning to pass a new Basic Law on the legal rights of citizens, he announced at a briefing on Tuesday at his ministry in Jerusalem.
The bill, which is currently being drafted, would include the rights of citizens in court and under arrest, the right to a fair legal process, the requirement of a warning and the status of being considered innocent until guilt has been proven.
Sa’ar intends to present the bill and hopes to pass it into law in the Knesset’s winter session. The bill was initially presented in 1994 but was never passed into law. It will be updated, as mandated by the coalition agreement.
Veteran lawyer Avigdor Feldman told KAN Radio that such a law is not needed, because most of its elements are already part of the law or are used in practice.
Sa’ar will be part of the judicial selection committee, whose other members will be chosen before the Knesset recess begins on August 8. He is in favor of having a court with a variety of views.
He wants to split the post of attorney-general but has not set a timetable for the move. Current Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit will complete his term in January, and his successor will be told that his role could be split.