Aharon Barak (Wikipedia)
Israel will be represented by its former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The 87 year old will serve as Israel’s judge on the court’s 16 member panel that will hear arguments on charges accusing Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. The case was brought by the government of South Africa.
Aharon Barak’s appointment was approved by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Other judges on the panel come from the US, Russia, China, Somalia, Slovakia, France, Morocco, Lebanon, Japan, India, Brazil, Australia, Uganda, Jamaica and Germany.
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Prof. Malcolm Shaw will represent Israel at the hearing which will begin on Friday. As a practicing Barrister Professor Malcolm Shaw KC has developed an international reputation for advising on various aspects of international law, including territorial disputes; law of the sea; state succession; state immunity; human rights; self-determination, international arbitration and international organizations.
In its complaint, South Africa accused Israel of committing acts “genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”
Aharon Barak is a prominent Israeli jurist who served as the President of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1995 to 2006. He is widely considered one of the most influential legal figures in Israeli history, having played a key role in shaping the country’s legal system and jurisprudence.
Born in Lithuania in 1936, Aharon Barak immigrated to Israel with his family as a child. He studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and went on to become a professor at the same university. In 1975, he was appointed Attorney General of Israel, and in 1978 he was appointed to the Supreme Court.
Barak’s tenure as President of the Supreme Court was marked by a number of significant developments. He is credited with developing the concept of “judicial activism,” which holds that the courts have a role in actively shaping public policy and protecting individual rights. He also issued a number of landmark rulings on issues such as freedom of speech, equality, and the rights of minorities.
Aharon Barak’s judicial philosophy has been controversial, with some critics arguing that he overstepped his authority and imposed his own personal views on the law. However, he is widely respected for his intellectual brilliance, his commitment to human rights, and his dedication to the rule of law.
Since retiring from the Supreme Court in 2006, Aharon Barak has remained active in the public sphere. He has written extensively on legal and political issues, and he has served as a visiting professor at a number of universities around the world.
In 2006, Barak was awarded the Israel Prize, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his contributions to law and society. He is also the recipient of numerous other awards and honors, including the EMET Prize and the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Harvard University.
