On final Knesset day, High Court hobbles coalition's pet law

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn and legal reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. The Knesset finished its summer session yesterday and managed to pass a few lingering pieces of legislation as well as start the wheels turning on others, including a loyalty pledge for senior diplomats and laws relating to domestic and sex abuse. Keller-Lynn breaks them down. Last night in a unanimous decision by a nine-judge panel, the High Court of Justice ruled that the so-called Tiberias law passed by the coalition earlier this month should enter into effect only after the upcoming municipal elections. Why is this important? Speaking from the Knesset podium yesterday, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid demanded an 18-month freeze on judicial overhaul legislation as a condition for his Yesh Atid party to return to negotiations with the coalition. What are the chances of agreement on that period? All eyes are on September when the High Court has slated hearings for many petitions against the newly passed reasonableness law, an amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary. Sharon explains what scholars are saying about the chances of the legislation being struck down. Discussed articles include: Knesset advances bill demanding loyalty pledge from senior diplomats serving abroad Knesset passes domestic abuse monitoring law after long delays and squabbles Knesset okays stronger punishment for sex offenses motivated by terrorism or racism High Court rules unanimously against mayoral election law that would benefit Deri ally Lapid: Freeze judicial overhaul until 2025, or we won’t return to talks A time for reason: Will the High Court strike down government’s reasonableness law? Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: President of the Supreme Court Esther Hayut and Supreme Court justices at the High Court in Jerusalem to hear in petitions against the so-called 'Tiberias law,' on July 30, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.