1.10 Active May 12, 2026
Raising the threshold required for filing a petition to the High Court of Justice
Need to change: Raising the threshold required for submitting a petition (appeal) to the High Court of Justice (standing) Legal reform
✍️ Submitted by: עו”ד’ עם ותק 30 שנה במערכת המשפטית בישראל (כותב 5 )
📖 Background
What is the legal definition now: Standing (locus standi): A ground/threshold requirement demanded of a person in order to submit a petition/lawsuit to the court. According to this requirement, the petitioner is required to be someone who was personally harmed (usually pertains to civil/criminal law). Discussion: Petitions to the High Court of Justice against the authorities ("governmental decisions affect the entire public and not just a specific individual").
In practice in Israel: The threshold requirement for submitting petitions barely exists.
Globally: In various countries there are arrangements regarding the issue of public petitioner standing.
Why change: Flooding of the High Court of Justice with various petitions: every year the High Court of Justice hears about 9,000 cases (in the US about 100, in England and Canada about 90). High involvement of the High Court of Justice in Knesset decisions. In simple terms, the conditions for appealing to the High Court of Justice were decided by judges who were not elected by citizens and not by public representatives, meaning the Knesset. The conditions for appealing to the High Court of Justice are not according to "existing Basic Laws" but rather were determined by judicial rulings.
📝 Proposal text
What needs to be changed:
* Arrange in a Basic Law the standing to petition the High Court of Justice, as part of a broad legal reform.
* Do not grant standing to a public petitioner who has not proven a personal interest in the petition.
* Restrict the standing in a Basic Law to prevent High Court of Justice involvement in decisions.
Possible options:
The goal of the change: to arrange representation in the High Court of Justice of judges who represent and unite the citizens of Israel.
✅ For (2)
- + To reduce judicial involvement in policy issues.
- + To prevent court congestion
⚠️ Against (1)
- − To increase court involvement in cases where there is a claim of a violation of human rights or the rule of law. Expanding standing is a tool available to the citizen against arbitrary decisions by authorities, particularly in issues concerning human rights.