She says can complete constitution either by court decisions or by Knesset passing additional Basic Laws.
By YONAH BOBSupreme Court President Dorit Beinisch 311(photo credit: Dudi Vaknin / Pool)
Former supreme court chief justice Dorit Beinisch said on Wednesday that it is important that Israel complete a constitution to ensure the state's democratic institutions and human rights.Beinisch's remarks were distributed in an Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) press release following her acceptance of an IDC award as an "Honorary Colleague" for being among a group of leaders in the areas of Zionism, entrepreneurship, social responsibility, philanthropy and economic success.She said that the goal of completing a constitution could either be undertaken by the court itself through its decisions or by the Knesset through passing additional Basic Laws.The former chief justice expressed concern regarding the escalating violence in Israeli society, noting that she was particularly concerned about the "disregard for human life, and violence afflicting our country. Violence threatens the peace and personal security of every person in Israel."She called the escalation a "slippery slope" that could spin out of control.To fight this phenomenon, she suggested that the legal system and law enforcement are "certainly an important element in restraining effects of violence and aggression, but they are not enough in and of themselves. We must invest in education from preschool to institutions of higher education."President of the IDC, Professor Uriel Reichman, presented the awards. Reichman addressed the issue of women's equality, noting that last year "we witnessed a difficult phenomenon of excluding women from the public space."He added that in responding to this behavior "which harms equality, freedom and human dignity," IDC would be at the forefront, condemning inequality "unequivocally and unhesitatingly."Reichman continued stating that IDC's response included a decision to give its award to three great female leaders to send the message that things "can and must be different."
