Tel-Chai Nation

The Jerusalem Post's written about the legal system in Israel, which does provide immunity from prosecution for MKs on specific issues:

And in the meantime, the Supreme Court deliberated whether to make a ruling on the question of Netanyahu’s ability to form a government after the March election – if he gets enough votes – when there is a pending indictment against him. Netanyahu can remain prime minister under indictment; the law makes that clear, but it does not address forming a new government.

Netanyahu hasn’t decided whether to ask for immunity, but his position on the matter, in principle, is clear.

"Immunity is not against democracy," Netanyahu said at a Likud event on Sunday. "Immunity is a cornerstone of democracy."

The US Constitution gives Members of Congress limited immunity, to prevent the executive branch from having undue influence on them; they cannot be arrested in the House or Senate or for any speech given there, and they cannot be interrogated. The US Justice Department's policy is that a president cannot be charged with a crime. A French constitutional amendment prohibits a president from being investigated for crimes committed before he or she was elected. And there are many other examples. The UK, Australia and Canada grant lawmakers immunity from arrest or imprisonment over a civil claim, and Germany gives parliamentarians extensive immunity that can be, and usually is, rescinded when challenged.

Read more, but I think that it should be pretty clear, there IS immunity available for a premier, and that immunity is not undemocratic. With all the attention issues like these have been given, the court would do well to ponder it.

Labels: Australia, Canada, France, germany, Israel, Knesset, Moonbattery, United States, US Congress