The judiciary and the government continued to trade blows in an ongoing constitutional clash, with the High Court of Justice warning Tuesday of societal breakdown and unrestrained government power if elected and public officials do not abide by court rulings.

The court also cautioned that elected and public officials who do not abide by court rulings may not enjoy immunity from civil damages suits.

The court made its comments in reference to a declaration by the government on Sunday that it does not view a High Court ruling regarding the Second Authority media regulation body as valid.

The court’s language also appeared to be a warning to members of the Second Authority council, among others, to abide by the June ruling that the panel can continue to function despite not having the requisite quorum, and to ignore the government’s statement on the issue.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin hit back, comparing the court to “dictators” while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accused the court of being a “judicial mafia” that was using “extortion” to achieve its goals.

The war between the judiciary and the government comes against the backdrop of the  latter’s four-year campaign to weaken the High Court and legal checks on government power, and to assert greater influence over the judiciary itself.

The High Court on Tuesday quoted directly from a 2007 ruling that warned that the country would descend into legal anarchy if the government or one of its agencies could decide not to abide by a court ruling.

“The obligation to comply with and respect court rulings is among the fundamental conditions upon which the rule of law in a democratic state is founded,” the High Court quoted the 2007 ruling as saying.

“Without compliance with court rulings, the principle of the rule of law is undermined, and social order disintegrates. Everyone will do as they see fit, and the distance between the rule of law and anarchy is but a........

© The Times of Israel