Amid backlog in court cases, Peres swears in 43 judges

Amid backlog in court ca

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
An aggressive effort is being made to fill gaps in the judicial system, in the hopes of significantly reducing the backlog of cases in the courts. Two weeks after signing the appointments of 25 new judges, President Shimon Peres on Tuesday was again called upon to affix his signature to appointment certificates - this time congratulating 43 judges after each took the oath of office at Beit Hanassi It was the largest number of judges to be appointed at any one time in the history of the state. Peres was pleased to note that the majority of the new judges are female, and suggested that males in the judiciary draw their own conclusions. On a more serious note, the president, as he did two weeks ago, exhorted the new judges, nearly all of whom are serving in magistrates' courts, to weed out crime and violence. Both Peres and Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch expressed concern about the increasing levels of violence that threatens the security and the moral fiber of Israeli society. Peres said that he had the feeling that beyond external threats and worries about making a living, the public was disconcerted by the phenomenon of pervasive, extreme violence within Israeli society. Every incident of casual murder, brutal rape, a knife in the heart of a woman, juveniles' consumption of vodka to the extent that youngsters lose their self control, human trafficking in which women are the main victims, and the unfair treatment of foreign workers are all crimes that affect not only the people directly concerned but Israel as a whole, said Peres. "Israel cannot tolerate such crimes," he declared. With regard to violent crimes, Peres asked the judges to be sensitive to the public interest when passing judgment. The implication was that they should not be lenient with such criminals. Beinisch said that the new judges were filling a vital need in the court system. There was an intention, she said, to expand the magistrate's courts and to fully computerize them to improve their efficiency. Beinisch said that violence had become an everyday occurrence - "not just in the street, but in peoples' homes." In this regard she stressed the importance of defending human rights, especially of those in the weaker sectors of society. Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman cautioned the new judges to focus on the essentials of each case, not to allow cases to drag out, and to deliver their rulings within 30 days after having heard all sides.