High Court to live-stream hearings of ‘constitutional importance’

The program will go forward after a previous pilot program and intense pressure from media outlets, including The Jerusalem Post and Globes.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
The High Court of Justice during a hearing (photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY / POOL)
The High Court of Justice during a hearing
(photo credit: ALEX KOLOMOISKY / POOL)
The High Court of Justice hearing on the petition regarding the Shin Bet (Israel Security Service) surveillance program of coronavirus-infected citizens on Thursday will be live streamed.
The program will go forward following a previous pilot program and intense pressure from media outlets, including The Jerusalem Post and Globes.
On March 18, the Post, together with around 15 other media outlets, pressed the court spokeswoman to allow key High Court hearings to be aired live due to coronavirus restrictions.
In addition, Globes reporter Avishai Grinzaig went a step further by filing an official motion to the High Court, which the Post and other media joined.
Although that request by Grinzaig and further requests by him since March 18 were repeatedly rejected by the court, saying that their deliberations over how to manage the live streaming of hearings were still incomplete, it appears that they have completed their talks.
High Court President Esther Hayut praised the program as a step forward in transparency. She complimented High Court Vice President Hanan Melcer and the Government Press Office for taking the lead on making the program a reality.
A statement by the court spokeswoman said that the airing of the hearings would include sign language as well.
At this stage, only select hearings of constitutional importance will be aired live.
The hearing regarding Shin Bet surveillance pits constitutional privacy rights against granting powerful technological tools to the agency and the Health Ministry to monitor those infected by coronavirus.