Esther Hayut אסתר חיות

Биография

Born in 1953 in Herzliya to parents who survived the Holocaust in Romania and the Soviet Union, Hayut served in the IDF, practiced commercial law, and joined the Tel Aviv District Court in 1990 before her 2003 Supreme Court appointment. She became Vice President in 2014 and President in October 2017.

Заметный послужной список

• Authored the 8-7 majority opinion of 1 January 2024 striking down the Reasonableness Amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary, issued from semi-retirement under the statutory three-month window that allows justices to complete cases they heard before retirement
• Joined the 12-3 majority on the same panel affirming the Court's theoretical authority to review Basic Laws that undermine Israel's core identity as a Jewish and democratic state
• Wrote the 10-1 majority opinion in 2021 upholding Basic Law: Nation-State, the first time the Court formally reviewed a Basic Law on the merits and declined to invalidate it
• Led the Court with public dignity through the 2023 protest movement, the October 7 Hamas massacre, and the multi-front war that followed

Сегодня

Retired in October 2023 at the mandatory age of 70, just nine days after the October 7 Hamas atrocities. Continues to engage in public legal discussion as a respected former president.