Senior Israeli judge who supposedly 'inspired' Reasonableness Standard Bill distances himself from proposed law

Israeli Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who reportedly “inspired” the currently much-debated Reasonableness Standard Bill, distanced himself from the Netanyahu government’s controversial judicial overhaul plan.

In a rare public statement on Monday, Sohlberg rejected the notion that this kind of restriction should be imposed through legislation.

“Truth be told, I didn’t think then, three and a half years ago in that lecture, about an amendment through legislation. I thought about a trend that would come about through court rulings,” the senior judge explained.

“I even emphasized that interpretation, reasonableness and proportionality ‘invite significant challenges, and oblige us to expand and deepen the important debate on the proper limits of judicial discretion,’” he said.

The judge stressed he was responding to questions about his article more than three years ago, and did not take any position regarding the current legislation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that Sohlberg’s statement indicated that the judge did not oppose the principles of the controversial bill.

“Contrary to media reports, and in accordance with the clarification he issued, Justice Sohlberg did not contradict the essence of the law — reducing [the use of] ‘reasonableness’ regarding [decisions by] elected officials,” stated Netanyahu.

Anti-judicial overhaul protesters recently launched several “Day of Disruption” events across Israel since the Reasonableness Standard Bill passed its first reading in the Knesset with a 64-56 vote two weeks ago.