13-06-09 Israel: Top secret - Is there a lawful Chief Clerk in the Supreme Court?

Chair of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, MK David Rotem was initially asked to establish a Parliamentary Investigation Committee regarding allegations of corruption in the Office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, following events surrounding the death of former Chief Clerk of the Supreme Court in 2002 under suspicious circumstances. Chair Rotem responded that he was confident that the Israel Police would perform it duties “on the best side” on complaints, which had been filed in the same matter. In a follow up request, Chair Rotem is asked to at least establish, whether “Chief Clerk” Sarah Lifschitz, who occupies the office of “Chief Clerk” of the Supreme Court for over a decade, holds a lawful appointment record. The follow up request notes that the Israel Police failed to respond on a complaint on this particular aspect, which had been filed over a year ago.  Chair Rotem refused to respond on that question as well.  Finally, Chair Rotem was asked: Is there a lawfully appointed Chief Clerk in the Israeli Supreme Court?

Others, who refused to answer on the same question: "Chief Clerk" of the Supreme Court Sarah Lifschitz, Presiding Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court Asher Grunis, and the office of Administration of Courts.

 

MK David Rotem; “Chief Clerk” of the Israel Supreme Court Sarah Lifschitz

Occupy Tel Aviv Encampment, June 9 - request has been forwarded today with Chair of the Israeli Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, MK David Rotem to ascertain whether “Chief Clerk” of the Supreme Court, Ms Sarah Lifschitz holds a lawful appointment record. [1]

Ms Lifschitz has occupied the office of the Chief Clerk of the Israeli Supreme Court for over a decade, since the death in office in 2002, under suspicious circumstances, of Chief Clerk Shmaryahu Cohen.

The death of Shmaryahu Cohen was subject of Police Complaint by a friend/relative already in 2002. However, at that time, the complainants could not provide a reasonable motive for a wrongful death.

More recently, Joseph Zernik, PhD, of Human Rights Alert (NGO), filed additional data with the Israel Police, alleging that the motive for Chief Clerk Cohen's death was unlawful takeover of the servers and electronic records of the Israeli Supreme Court, for which Mr Cohen was the lawful custodian.

In parallel to filing the data with Israel Police, the same data were filed with MK Rotem, as a request for the establishment of a parliamentary investigation committee, pertaining to allegations of corruption in the Office of the Clerk of the Israeli Supreme Court, following the wrongful death of Mr Cohen in 2002, and wrongful occupation of his office by Ms Lifschitz. [2]

The request for a parliamentary investigation committee notes that events in the Supreme Court in 2002 should be seen as second in significance only to the murder of Prime Minister Yitzhaq Rabin in 1995, relative to the nature of the regime in the State of Israel today.

In his June 9, 2013 response, MK Rotem dismissed the request to establish a parliamentary investigation committee in this matter, claiming that he was “convinced that the appropriate authorities would perform their duties on the best side.” [2]

In his follow-up request today, Dr Zernik points out that the Israel Police complaint, pertaining to the conduct of Ms Lifschitz, was filed over a year ago, and yet, no response was received from the Israel Police on this matter.

Therefore, MK Roten and the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee is asked to at least ascertain, whether “Chief Clerk” of the Supreme Court, Ms Sarah Lifschitz holds a lawful appointment record. Today's follow up request adds that such matter clearly falls within the purview of the Committee, moreover, is a matter that should be easy for the Committee to ascertain.

MK Rotem refused to answer on that question as well, stating that he "would not overstep the appropriate authorities". 

Finally, MK Rotem was asked to provide what should be public information in a civilized state: Is there a lawfully appointed Chief Clerk in the Supreme Court of the State of Israel? 

Evidence of corruption of the Israeli Supreme Court electronic records was central to the Human Rights Alert (NGO) submission to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), which was incorporated in the 2013 HRC Professional Staff Report on Human Rights in Israel (paragraph 25), with a note referring to “Lack of integrity in the electronic records of the Supreme Court... in Israel”. [3]

Parts of the Human Rights Alert submission were also presented and published in international computer science conferences, subject to anonymous peer-review.

Another Human Rights Alert submission was incorporated into the HRC 2010 Report on Human Rights in the United States with a note referring to “Corruption of the courts and the legal profession... in California”. [4]

LINKS:

[1] 13-06-09 Request for establishing by the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, whether “Chief Clerk” of the Israeli Supreme Court holds a lawful appointment record

http://www.scribd.com/doc/146705778/

[2] 13-06-03 Request for establishing a Parliamentary Investigative Committee filed with members of the Knesset Law, Constitution and Justice Committee

http://www.scribd.com/doc/145378268/

[3] 12-06-04 Human Right Alert, Submission; 2013 UPR of the State of Israel - "Integrity, or lack thereof, of the electronic record systems of the courts of the State of Israel"

http://www.scribd.com/doc/92826212/

[4] 10-10-01 United Nations Human Rights Council Records for 2010 Review (UPR) of Human Rights in the United States, where Human Rights Alert (NGO) submission was incorporated with a note referring to "corruption of the courts and the legal profession and discrimination by law enforcement in California."

http://www.scribd.com/doc/38566837/