MBABANE:The Ministerial Committee for Legislation delays approving a Bill that would enable lawmakers to halt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial, pushing off a decision by another week-despite media reports that it enjoyed the support of Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the Times of Israel reported on Sunday.
It has been reported that, the Bill sponsored by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, which consists of just one operative sentence, would enable lawmakers to delay the trial of a Prime Minister or Cabinet Minister at any time after an indictment and before a final ruling.
But the Bill allows the Knesset House Committee to “stay the legal proceedings against the Prime Minister or a Government Minister following an indictment if it deems it necessary” without specifying what, if any, criteria would be used to judge such a necessity.
“According to the Kan public broadcaster, the committee’s vote on the bill was postponed due to Netanyahu’s insistence that it not apply to him personally.Netanyahu is currently on trial on several charges of corruption in a case that has been ongoing since 2020”, reads the Times of Israel report in part.
On another note, the New York Times reported on Sunday afternoon that, an Israel Court rejected PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s application seeking to delay the trial.
“The court ruled that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must take the stand on Dec. 2 in a trial that has stretched out for more than four years”, The New York Times reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushing for a Bill to halt his ongoing corruption trial and undermine rule of law, Ministerial Committee delays process of speeding-up law(pic: sourced via New York Times).